In the wake of allegations around the supply of HS2 staff, Shaun Toner, Matrix Workforce Management Solutions calls for a better approach to workforce supply.
The recent investigation into labour suppliers working on the HS2 project has rightly triggered headlines and serious concern. Allegations of staff misclassification and inflated invoices are worrying enough but for those of us who work in workforce management every day, they’re also sadly familiar. Because this isn’t just about HS2. It’s about a wider systemic failure in how public sector infrastructure projects source and manage contingent labour.
Let’s be clear: the majority of recruitment and labour suppliers do their jobs ethically and professionally. But without a strong framework of governance, even the best intentions can slip through the cracks. That’s why I believe we need to use this moment to ask a tougher question. Not just “what went wrong,” but “what should have been in place to prevent it?”
From my perspective, the biggest missed opportunity is the lack of a properly implemented MSP (Managed Service Provider) overseeing the supply chain. An MSP isn’t just another layer of admin. It’s a safeguard. A good MSP takes full responsibility for the vetting, onboarding and management of temporary workers sourced through agencies. That means checking right-to-work status, verifying classification, tracking hours and benchmarking pay rates against the market.
When an MSP is in place, there’s clarity and control. No one’s guessing what’s being charged. No one’s wondering whether a contractor is genuinely qualified. It creates a single point of accountability – and crucially, transparency. You’re not just reacting when things go wrong; you’re proactively managing cost, compliance and risk from the outset.
And it’s not just about compliance or cost savings – though both are important. At Matrix, we work with clients to ensure that temporary workforce strategies are fair, equitable and outcomes-driven. That’s why we advocate so strongly for the use of Statement of Work (SoW) models, especially in complex or high-value public sector projects.
Working with outcomes
When you structure procurement around outcomes, not just time or headcount, it changes everything. Instead of paying inflated day rates with little scrutiny, you pay for what’s delivered. Progress is measurable. Suppliers are held to account. And taxpayers can see the value being created with their money.
What worries me most in cases like HS2 is not the specifics of the investigation as those will play out in due course. What really bothers me is that this kind of risk is entirely avoidable. Workforce governance should never be an afterthought. It should be embedded into the DNA of every major project from day one. Because when it isn’t you leave the door open to the very issues now under scrutiny: misclassification, overbilling and eroded public trust.
Ethical practice
I’d also argue that beyond the financial and legal risks there’s an ethical dimension too. Poor workforce visibility often goes hand-in-hand with inconsistent pay, ambiguous employment status and gaps in duty of care. In the public sector – where fairness, transparency and value for money are non-negotiable – we have to do better.
So, why wait for the outcome of the HS2 investigation to act? We need to elevate the role of MSPs in public project procurement now. We need to standardise SoW contracting to drive accountability. And we need to make workforce transparency a requirement, not a luxury.
This moment should be a wake-up call. Procurement without visibility isn’t just inefficient, it’s dangerous. But with the right systems and partners in place, we can prevent the next headline before it ever happens.
