Can someone explain this response from HR to me?

[retryy]

I am an agency worker for my local authority and wanted to check if I could apply for internal vacancies so these are jobs no external people can apply for. U emailed HR and got this response.

no - this is because we are not increasing our headcount by allowing internal staff to apply and we are currently in a headcount freeze due to our savings targets.

They then go on to say I can apply if the jobs is advertised externally.

I don't understand it - how by letting agency staff are they increasing headcount?

It is possible that agency staff are not counted in the ‘headcount’.

Because agency staff are counted differently. You are not internal, you are contracted through an agency therefore do not form part of the headcount. If you were to move from agency to internal the company headcount would have increased by 1

As a contractor you are not on the headcount op. The head count is the permanent staff. Hence why if you applied and got thr job, the head count would increase, you’d no longer be agency, you’d be permanent and on the head count.

Just as a guess it will be that your wage is not covered by the dept funding you currently work for, your wage will be accounted for elsewhere in the agency budget section. They don’t offer you benefits like pension etc so that will come out of the internal dept too.

Presumably agency staff and council employed staff are counted differently in the budget.

They mean permanent head count?

crossed post with everyone else

Because as agency you aren’t in their payroll. They don’t want to add anyone else to their employment. Your agency employs you.

Many companies do this, we do this, our head count is the permanent staff, agency staff are not counted, they can be terminated as per the contract with the agency, their employment is with the agency and not us.

Op if you applied it would be no different to any other non employee applying and getting the job, the head count would go up by one. As they don’t wish to increase head count then letting only permanent staff apply means that it’s an internal move and head count remains neutral

Any jobs externally advertised they are expecting to increase hc for.

Thanks everyone. That makes sense. Shame that I can only apply for external vacancies. I've seen something that I really wanted. Never mind.