Terms of Reference Employment Consultation Forum

  • The name of the group will be the Employment Consultation Forum.
  • The group will be HMRC’s principal consultation forum for employers and their intermediaries, and will focus primarily on strategic or higher level issues of legislative and operational policy and practice
  • The group will be an effective forum for
  • HMRC to explain and explore implications of potential changes to policies, products and processes impacting on employers and on employment issues
    Employers to raise and discuss issues or problems in administering payroll obligations or in relation to employment issues more generally
  • Other Government Departments may be invited when their potential changes to products and processes are identified as having an impact on employers’ payroll operations
  • Sub-groups to address specific topics and issues will be set up and disbanded as considered necessary by the group.
  • Minutes of sub-groups will be available on the Internet at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/consultations/consultative-forums.htm but will not generally be discussed at group meetings unless cross-cutting issues arise.
  • Agenda items will be compiled by the secretary of the group from suggestions by both internal HMRC and external representatives. AOB items should normally be suggested a week in advance of each meeting.
  • A senior official from one of the Customer Units and an external representative will jointly co- chair the group. Nominees from a cross-cutting range of other HMRC Units will also attend meetings, including a representative of the Individuals Customer Unit when issues impacting on employees are expected to arise.
  • The group will be made up of nominees of employers’ and intermediaries’ representative organisations.
  • The group will normally meet on a quarterly basis, but where appropriate will discuss and decide on issues by email between formal meetings. Exceptionally additional meetings may be called at short notice to discuss matters of urgency.
  • The minutes, terms of reference and a list of representatives and the groups they represent will be published on the Internet at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/consultations/consultative-forums.htm
  • The secretary of the group will liaise with secretaries of other consultation fora to ensure issues are discussed in the most suitable forum, and thus to avoid duplication.
  • Action points will be recorded by the secretary, and representatives will be advised of progress by email between meetings.