Work Smarter with Stonebridge Umbrella

All employees must provide proof of right to work, proof of address dated within the last 3 months, their National Insurance number, bank details, and their P45 or P60 from previous employment.

If you are a British national, you will need to provide the following:

• A copy of your British passport or;
• A copy of your birth certificate with proof of NI number and photo ID such as driving license.

If you are not a British national, you will need to provide the following:

• Photo ID such as passport or identity card
• A valid share code

(If you don’t have the above, we will require any documentation which supports your visa so that we can run a right to work check.)

Once payment terms are agreed with your agency or end client, we will reflect these terms in your assignment schedule. Payments are typically made weekly or monthly. You will need to follow the client’s process for submitting timesheets.

Once we receive your hours worked, we will invoice the recruitment company or end client. Upon receipt of payment, we will process the payroll, making all necessary deductions for taxes (PAYE), National Insurance contributions, and other relevant deductions before paying you.

You will receive a text message notifying you of the payment, and you can log into our portal to view your payslips and other financial documents.

As an umbrella employee, you are entitled to sick pay and holiday pay, similar to other types of employment.

You must earn at least the Lower Earnings Limit to be entitled to this and be sick for the qualifying ‘period of incapacity for work’ (4 or more days in a row including non-working days and public holidays). You must ensure that you have informed us and provided evidence (fit note from your doctor) if sick for more than 7 days. If you qualify for SSP this will be calculated and paid out to you as per your usual payment schedule.

In line with statutory entitlements, your holiday pay is based on the hours or days you work. In the UK, the statutory minimum is 5.6 weeks per year calculated at 12.07% of pay if you are in full-time employment, including bank holidays. Holiday pay is typically included in your pay rate and is either paid out each time you are paid or reserved by the Umbrella Company and paid out when you take time off.

Other statutory payments you may be entitled to as an Umbrella Company employee are:

• Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)
• Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP)
• Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP)

Like all compliant and FCSA accredited Umbrella Companies, we retain what is known as an umbrella margin. This margin is the amount the umbrella company retains when funds are received from an employment agency or end client for the work you undertake. This margin will be retained as per your payment schedule i.e. weekly for monthly for each period you have worked.

During your registration process you will be provided with a Pay Illustration explaining all elements of your pay, you will also be provided with a Key Information Document, otherwise known as a KID.

The umbrella Key Information Document (KID) will give clear and essential details about employment terms, payment processes, and associated costs when a contractor is engaged through an Umbrella Company.

No, IR35 is not an issue if you are an umbrella employee. IR35 legislation is designed to determine the employment status of contractors working through intermediaries, such as personal service companies (PSCs) or Ltd companies, to ensure tax compliance.

As an employee, your tax and National Insurance contributions are deducted at source through PAYE, so IR35 does not apply to you since you are already taxed as an employee. We will ensure all legal requirements are met.

Yes, the contract of employment is what is known as an ‘overarching agreement’. This means that you can be engaged on multiple assignments under one contract of employment. It is important you let us know how many assignments you are working on so that we can ensure total compliance during your employment with us.

Yes, you will be covered via our professional indemnity, public liability, employer's liability and personal accident cover insurance. Details of which will be provided to you during the registration process.

Yes, all compliant Umbrella Companies should adhere to the Auto Enrolment scheme. The umbrella company will automatically enrol eligible employees into a qualifying workplace pension scheme (we use NEST) and contribute to it on their behalf. This ensures employees have access to a pension plan and encourages retirement savings. Should saving for your pension not suit you right now, you will have the option to opt-out.

When you work through an Umbrella Company, you are regarded as an employee of that company according to tax and employment laws. This arrangement offers specific advantages and legal protections that self-employed individuals are not entitled to.