​1.     DEFINITIONS

1.1.          In these Terms of Business (“Terms”) the following definitions apply:

“Agency” GK Search Limited (registered company no.10605414 of Arena Business Centre, Riverside Way, Watchmoor Park, Camberley, GU15 3YL (“the Agency”).

“Cancellation Fee” means the fee payable by the Client to the Agency when the Client withdraws an offer of Engagement made to the Candidate before the Candidate has accepted the offer and which is calculated in accordance with clause 3.8;

“Candidate” means the person Introduced by the Agency to the Client for an Engagement including any officer, employee or other representative of the Candidate if the Candidate is a corporate body, and members of the Agency’s own staff;

“Client” means the person, firm or corporate body together with any subsidiary or associated person, firm or corporate body (as the case may be) to which the Candidate is Introduced;

“Data Protection Laws” means the Data Protection Act 1998, the General Data Protection Regulation (EU 2016/679) or any applicable statutory or regulatory provisions in force from time to time relating to the protection and transfer of personal data;

“Engagement” means the engagement, employment or use of the Candidate by the Client or any third party on a permanent or temporary basis, whether under a contract of service or for services; under an agency, licence, franchise or partnership agreement, or any other engagement, or through a limited company of which the Candidate is an officer, employee or other representative; and “Engage”, “Engages” and “Engaged” shall be construed accordingly;

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“Introduction” means (i) the passing to the Client of a curriculum vitæ or information which identifies the Candidate or (ii) the Client’s interview of a Candidate (in person, by telephone or by any other means), following the Client’s instruction to the Agency to search for a Candidate; and in either case which leads to an Engagement of that Applicant; and “Introduces” and “Introduced” shall be construed accordingly;

“Introduction Fee” means the fee payable by the Client to the Agency when the Candidate accepts an offer of Engagement following an Introduction by the Agency;

“Losses” means all losses, liabilities, damages, costs, expenses, fines, penalties or interest, whether direct, indirect, special or consequential (including, without limitation, any economic loss or other loss of profits, business or goodwill, management time and reasonable legal fees) and charges, including such items arising out of or resulting from actions, proceedings, claims and demands;

“Remuneration” includes gross base salary or fees, guaranteed and/or anticipated bonus and commission earnings, allowances, inducement payments, the benefit of a company car and all other payments and taxable (and, where applicable, non-taxable) emoluments payable to or receivable by the Candidate for services rendered to or on behalf of the Client or any third party. Where the Client provides a company car, a notional amount of £4000 will be added to the salary in order to calculate the Agency’s fee;

“Replacement Candidate” means any Candidate Introduced by the Agency to the Client to fill the Engagement following the Introduction of another Candidate whose Engagement either did not commence or was terminated during the first 8 weeks of the Engagement.

1.2.          Unless the context requires otherwise, references to the singular include the plural and the masculine includes the feminine and vice versa.

1.3.          The headings contained in these Terms are for convenience only and do not affect their interpretation.

2.     THE CONTRACT

2.1.          These Terms and the attached Schedule(s) (“the Schedules”) constitute the contract between the Agency and the Client for the supply of permanent or contract staff (to be engaged directly by the Client) and are deemed to be accepted by the Client by virtue of an Introduction or the Engagement of a Candidate, or the passing by the Client of any information about a Candidate to any third party following an Introduction.

2.2.          These Terms contain the entire agreement between the parties and unless otherwise agreed in writing by a director of the Agency, these Terms prevail over any other terms of business or purchase conditions (or similar) put forward by the Client.

2.3.          No variation or alteration to these Terms shall be valid unless the details of such variation are agreed between a director of the Agency and the Client and are set out in writing and a copy of the varied terms is given to the Client stating the date on or after which such varied terms shall apply.

2.4.          The Agency acts as an employment agency (as defined in Section 13(2) of the Employment Agencies Act 1973) when Introducing Candidates to the Client for direct Engagement by that Client.

3.     NOTIFICATION AND FEES

3.1.          The Client agrees to:

3.1.1.      notify the Agency immediately of the terms of any offer of an Engagement which it makes to the Candidate;

3.1.2.      notify the Agency immediately that its offer of an Engagement to the Candidate has been accepted and to provide details to the Agency of the Remuneration agreed with the Candidate together with any documentary evidence as requested by the Agency; and

3.1.3.      pay the Introduction Fee to be calculated in accordance with the provisions of this clause 3.

3.2.          The Introduction Fee shall be payable within 14 days of the date of the Agency’s invoice.

The Introduction Fee is the amount equal to percentage of the Remuneration applicable during the first 12 months of the Engagement stated in Schedule: Fee Structure.

3.3.          Where prior to the commencement of the Engagement the Agency and the Client agree that the Engagement will be on the basis of a fixed term of less than 12 months, the Introduction Fee will apply pro-rata. If the Engagement is (a) extended beyond the initial fixed term or (b) if the Client re-Engages the Candidate within 6 calendar months from the date of termination of the first or any subsequent Engagement, then the Client shall be liable to pay a further fee based on the additional Remuneration applicable for (a) the extended period of Engagement or (b) the period of the second and any subsequent Engagement, subject to the Client not being liable to pay a greater fee than the fee which would otherwise have applied under clause 3.3 had the Candidate first been Engaged for 12 months or more.

3.4.          If the Client subsequently Engages the Candidate within the period of 6 calendar months from the date of (a) the Introduction, (b) the Client’s withdrawal of an offer of Engagement or (b) the Candidate’s rejection of an offer of an Engagement, (whichever is the later), then the full Introduction Fee calculated in accordance with clause 3.3 above becomes payable, unless the parties agree that the subsequent Engagement is for a fixed term of less than 12 months in which case clause 3.4 will apply.

3.5.          The Client’s obligations under this clause 3 shall be performed without any right of the Client to invoke set-off, deductions, withholdings or other similar rights.

3.6.          VAT is charged at the standard rate on all fees.

The Agency reserves the right to charge interest under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 on invoiced amounts unpaid by the due date at the rate of 8% per annum above the base rate from time to time of the Bank of England from the due date until the date of payment

3.7.          Where the actual Remuneration is not known, the Agency will charge an Introduction Fee calculated in accordance with clause 3.3 based on its determination of the Remuneration taking into account the market rate level of remuneration applicable for the position in which the Candidate has been Engaged and with regard to any information supplied to the Agency by the Client and/or comparable positions in the market generally.

3.8.          If, after an offer of Engagement has been made to the Candidate, the Client decides for any reason to withdraw it prior to the Candidate accepting the Engagement, the Client shall be liable to pay the Agency a Cancellation Fee calculated in accordance with the Cancellation Fee Schedule below.

4.     REFUNDS

4.1.          If, after an offer has been made and accepted, the Engagement (a) does not commence or (b) is terminated before the expiry of 8 weeks (except in circumstances where the Candidate is made redundant) from the date of commencement of the Engagement, then subject to the terms of clause 4.2 the Agency will refund the Introduction Fee in accordance with the accompanying Scale of Refunds set out in the Schedule attached to these Terms.

 4.2.          In order to qualify for the refund set out in clause 4.1, then:

4.2.1.      further to clause 3.2 the Client must pay or have paid the Introduction Fee by the due date for payment and must notify the Agency in writing of the termination of the Engagement or the non-commencement of the Engagement within 7 days of its termination or non-commencement; and

4.2.2.      the Client must exclusively give the Employment Business 4 weeks from the date of the notice of non-commencement or termination in which to find one suitable Replacement Candidate based on the original specification given for the position the Client is seeking to fill. If after 4 weeks from the date of the notice no suitable Replacement Candidate can be found, or if the Replacement Candidate’s Engagement is terminated before the expiry of 8 weeks from the date of commencement of the Engagement the Client will then be eligible for a refund, subject to the rest of clause 4.

4.3.          For the purposes of this clause 4 the date of termination of the Engagement shall be the date on which the Candidate ceases [to be employed by/ working for] the Client [or the date the Candidate would have ceased working for the Client but for any period of garden leave or payment in lieu of notice]

4.4.          In circumstances where clause 3.4 applies, the full Introduction Fee is payable and there shall be no entitlement to a refund.

4.5.          If subsequent to the Client receiving a refund the Candidate is re-Engaged within a period of 6 calendar months from the date of termination then the full Introduction Fee as calculated in clause 3.3 becomes due. The Client shall not be entitled to any further refunds in relation to the Engagement of this Candidate.

5.     INTRODUCTIONS TO THIRD PARTIES

Introductions of Candidates are confidential. If a Client discloses a Candidate’s details to a third party that will be deemed to be a “Third Party Introduction”. If that Third Party Introduction results in an offer of Engagement to the Candidate by the third party within 6 months of the Agency’s Introduction of the Candidate to the Client, then the Client will be liable to the Agency for payment of an Introduction Fee in accordance with clause 3. Neither the Client nor the third party shall be entitled to a refund of the Introduction Fee under clause 4 in any circumstances.

6.     SUITABILITY CHECKS AND INFORMATION TO BE PROVIDED

6.1.          The Agency endeavours to ensure the suitability of any Candidate Introduced to the Client by obtaining confirmation:

6.1.1.      of the Candidate’s identity;

6.1.2.      that the Candidate has the experience, training, qualifications and any authorisation which the Client considers necessary or which may be required by law or by any professional body; and

6.1.3.      that the Candidate is willing to work in the position which the Client seeks to fill.

6.2.          When the Agency Introduces a Candidate to the Client the Agency shall inform the Client of such matters in clause 6.1 as they have obtained confirmation of. Where such information is not given in paper form or by electronic means it shall be confirmed by such means by the end of the third business day (excluding Saturday, Sunday and any Public or Bank Holiday) following, save where the Candidate is being Introduced for an Engagement which is the same as one in which the Candidate has worked within the previous 5 business days and such information has already been given to the Client.

6.3.          The Agency endeavours to take all such steps as are reasonably practicable to ensure that the Client and Candidate are aware of any requirements imposed by law or any professional body to enable the Candidate to work in the position which the Client seeks to fill.

6.4.          The Agency endeavours to take all such steps as are reasonably practicable to ensure that it would not be detrimental to the interests of either the Client or the Candidate for the Candidate to work in the position which the Client seeks to fill.

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6.5.          Notwithstanding clauses 6.1 to 6.4 inclusive the Client shall be obliged to satisfy itself as to the suitability of the Candidate for the position they are seeking to fill. The Client is responsible for:

6.5.1.      taking up any references provided by the Candidate before Engaging the Candidate;

6.5.2.      checking the Candidate’s right to work and obtaining permission to work as may be required by the law of the country in which the Candidate is Engaged to work;

6.5.3.      the arrangement of medical examinations and/or investigations into the medical history of any Candidate; and

6.5.4.      satisfying any medical and other requirements, qualifications or permission required for the Candidate to work in the Engagement.

6.6.          To enable the Agency to comply with its obligations under 6.1 to 6.4 inclusive above the Client undertakes to provide to the Agency details of the position which the Client seeks to fill, including the following:

6.6.1.      the type of work that the Candidate would be required to do;

6.6.2.      the location and hours of work;

6.6.3.      the experience, training, qualifications and any authorisation which the Client considers necessary or which are required by law or any professional body for the Candidate to possess in order to work in the position;

6.6.4.      any risks to health or safety known to the Client and what steps the Client has taken to prevent or control such risks;

6.6.5.      the date the Client requires the Candidate to commence the Engagement;

6.6.6.      the duration or likely duration of the Engagement;

6.6.7.      the minimum rate of Remuneration, expenses and any other benefits that would be offered;

6.6.8.      the intervals of payment of Remuneration; and

6.6.9.      the length of notice that the Candidate would be entitled to give and receive to terminate their employment with the Client.

7.     SPECIAL SITUATIONS

7.1.          Where:

7.1.1.      the Candidate is required by law, or any professional body to have any qualifications or authorisations to work in the position which the Client seeks to fill;

7.1.2.      or the work involves caring for or attending any person under the age of 18, or any person who by reason of age, infirmity or who is otherwise in need of care or attention;

the Agency will take all reasonably practicable steps to obtain and offer to provide copies of:

7.1.3.      any relevant qualifications or authorisations of the Candidate;

7.1.4.      2 references from persons not related to the Candidate who have agreed that the references they provide may be disclosed to the Client; and

7.1.5.      such other reasonably practicable steps as are required to confirm that the Candidate is suitable for the position.

7.2.          If the Agency is unable to do any of the above it shall inform the Client of the steps it has taken to obtain this information in any event.

8.     CONFIDENTIALITY AND DATA PROTECTION 

All information relating to a Candidate is confidential and subject to the Data Protection Laws and is provided solely for the purpose of providing work-finding services to the Client. Such information must not be used for any other purpose nor divulged to any third party and the Client undertakes to abide by the provisions of the Data Protection Laws in receiving and processing the data at all times. In addition information relating to the Agency’s business which is capable of being confidential must be kept confidential and not divulged to any third party, except information which is in the public domain.

9.     LIABILITY

9.1.  The Agency shall not be liable under any circumstances for any loss, expense, damage, delay, costs or compensation (whether direct, indirect or consequential) which may be suffered or incurred by the Client arising from or in any way connected with the Agency seeking a Candidate for the Client or from the Introduction to or Engagement of any Candidate by the Client or from the failure of the Agency to introduce any Candidate. For the avoidance of doubt, the Agency does not exclude liability for death or personal injury arising from its own negligence or for any other loss which it is not permitted to exclude under law.

9.2.  The Client shall indemnify and keep indemnified the Agency against any Losses incurred by the Agency arising out of any non-compliance with the Data Protection Laws, and/or as a result of any breach of, these Terms by the Client.

10.  NOTICES

 All notices which are required to be given in accordance with this Agreement shall be in writing and may be delivered personally or by first class prepaid post to the registered office of the party upon whom the notice is to be served or any other address that the party has notified the other party in writing, by email or facsimile transmission. Any such notice shall be deemed to have been served: if by hand when delivered, if by first class post 48 hours following posting and if by email or facsimile transmission, when that email or facsimile is sent.

11.  SEVERABILITY

 If any of the provisions of these Terms shall be determined by any competent authority to be unenforceable to any extent, such provision shall, to that extent, be severed from the remaining terms, which shall continue to be valid to the fullest extent permitted by applicable laws.

12.  GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION

These Terms are governed by the law of England & Wales and are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of England & Wales

SCHEDULE: FEE STRUCTURE

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SCHEDULE: SCALE OF CANCELLATION FEE

1.             The Cancellation Fee due in clause 3.8 above is calculated as follows:

SCHEDULE: SCALE OF REFUND

1.     The following scale of refund only applies in the event that the Client complies with the provisions of clauses 3.1, 4.1 and 4.2 of these Terms.

2. Where the Candidate ceases working for the Client during the first 8 weeks of the Engagement (except where the Candidate is or will be made redundant) or fails to commence an Engagement, except in the circumstances set out in clause 3.8, a refund of the Introduction fee shall be paid to the Client in accordance with the scale set out below, subject to the conditions in clause 4.1 and 4.2.

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3. There will be no refund where the Candidate’s Engagement is terminated (or the Engagement would have terminated but for any period of garden leave or payment in lieu of notice) during or after the 8th week of the Engagement.

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