Most security operators say the same thing at some point.
“We can’t get reliable people.”
“Agencies keep letting us down.”
“We need more cover, faster.”
It sounds right.
It’s also usually the wrong diagnosis.
Because for most UK security businesses, the real issue is not the demand for labour.
It is that they are running modern, high-risk security contracts on an MSP model built for a very different era.
And the cracks are starting to show.
When contingent labour becomes a liability
Security does not tolerate failure.
A missed shift is not an inconvenience. It is a contract breach.
A compliance lapse is not a technicality. It is a contract risk, a regulatory risk, and a reason clients quietly start looking elsewhere. An incident without accountability is a reputational threat.
Yet many operators are still relying on contingent labour models that offer flexibility without control.
The result is familiar.
Shifts are filled, but no one is fully confident about who is on site.
Compliance is checked once, then assumed.
Costs are discovered after the fact.
Problems are addressed only once they have already landed on you.
If that feels normal, it shouldn’t.
The uncomfortable truth about traditional MSPs
Traditional MSPs promised to simplify contingent labour.
In practice, many have done the opposite.
- You get labour, but not certainty.
- You get reports, but too late to act.
- You get compliance checks at onboarding, then silence.
After that, you are trusting that nothing expires, nothing changes, and nothing gets missed.
Ask yourself a simple question.
If your MSP were truly in control, would you still be firefighting shifts, audits, and cost overruns?
Most MSP models are built around coordination, not accountability.
They sit between you and a growing list of agencies, passing work downstream and information back upstream. At a small scale, that can work.
At the security scale, it breaks.
Why MSP models fail as operations grow
As contracts expand and coverage becomes more complex, four pressures hit first.
Fragmentation
Multiple agencies mean multiple standards, multiple data sources, and no single version of the truth. When something goes wrong, responsibility is diluted.
Delayed visibility
By the time you see the report, the shift has already happened. The cost is already incurred.
The risk has already landed on you.
Static compliance
Right-to-work, vetting, and certifications are checked once, then trusted indefinitely.
In security, compliance is not a document.
It is a moving target.
People change. Certifications lapse. Vetting expires.
If you cannot see that in real time, you are compliant only on paper.
Cost leakage
Without shift-level insight, small inefficiencies compound. Overtime creeps in. Rates drift.
Margins erode quietly.
This is how operators stay busy while losing control.
Labour without control is not flexibility
There is a dangerous assumption in the industry.
That flexibility means accepting uncertainty.
It doesn’t.
Flexibility without visibility is not agility. It is exposure.
Modern security operations need to know, at any moment:
- Who is on site
- Whether they are compliant right now
- What the shift is costing
- Where risks are emerging
If your contingent labour model cannot answer those questions in real time, it is not supporting your operation.
It is adding risk to it.
What a modern MSP actually needs to do
Security operators do not need more agencies.
They need a better model.
A modern MSP for contingent labour must deliver five things consistently.
Reliable labour on demand
Not promises. Not the best effort. Actual fill rates that reflect operational reality.
Built-in, continuous compliance
Right-to-work, vetting, and certifications are treated as live operational conditions, not onboarding paperwork you hope is still valid during an audit.
Real-time visibility
You should know what is happening now, not next week.
Shift-level cost control
Every hour worked should be traceable, accountable, and explainable.
Technology that removes friction
Not another admin layer. A system that reduces dependency on chasing and follow-ups.
Anything less is just coordination with a modern interface.
Where EarnFlex changes the equation
This is where EarnFlex takes a different approach.
EarnFlex is not just a source of contingent labour. It is a tech-enabled MSP built for the realities of modern security operations.
Instead of layering technology on top of outdated processes, EarnFlex starts with a different assumption.
Labour, technology, and delivery must operate as one system.
For security operators, that means:
Rapid access to vetted contingent labour
Centralised programme management
Reduced dependency on fragmented agency networks
A delivery model that scales without losing control
The focus is simple.
The right person, in the right place, at the right time, with the right checks in place.
If you need labour, EarnFlex solves that problem properly.
When labour is not the problem, but control is
There is another reality worth acknowledging. Many established security operators do not lack people.
- They have workforces.
- They have preferred suppliers.
- They have internal teams.
What they lack is real-time operational control.
- Data is fragmented.
- Compliance is tracked manually.
- Expiry dates live in spreadsheets or inboxes.
- Costs are reconciled after the damage is done.
- Decisions are reactive, not informed.
At this point, the problem is no longer labour.
It is architecture.
Where Arez Operate fits
Arez Operate is not a labour provider.
It is an operating system for workforce operations.
It is designed for organisations that already have labour but are struggling to control it.
Arez provides a single operational layer that brings structure, visibility, and accountability across workforce delivery.
That includes:
Live workforce visibility across sites
Continuous compliance assurance that does not rely on reminders or individuals
Remembering what expires when
Shift-level cost tracking
Operational intelligence that highlights issues before they escalate
The distinction matters.
EarnFlex provides the workforce through a modern MSP.
Arez provides control when you already have one.
Different problems. Different solutions.
Same outcome.
Two paths. One destination.
In practice, security operators fall into one of two camps.
You need contingent labour
Demand is volatile. Coverage is critical. You cannot afford gaps.
A tech-enabled MSP like EarnFlex gives you access to vetted labour without the chaos of traditional models.
You have labour but lack visibility
Your workforce exists, but control does not.
Arez Operate gives you the operational backbone without forcing you to replace your labour model.
Different paths.
Same destination.
Control.
Why this matters now
The security market is not getting easier.
- Clients expect transparency.
- Audits are becoming more frequent.
- Regulation is tightening.
- Margins are under constant pressure.
In security, compliance failures are rarely loud.
They surface during audits, incidents, or contract renewals.
By then, it is already too late to fix the system that caused them.
Running contingent labour on outdated MSP models is no longer neutral.
It is a risk.
Operators who modernise will move faster, respond smarter, and protect their margins.
Those who do not will continue to have firefight problems that they should be preventing.
The difference is not effort.
It is the system underneath.
Choose the model that fits your reality
If you need contingent labour delivered through a modern, tech-enabled MSP, EarnFlex is built for that challenge.
If you already have labour but lack control, visibility, and compliance assurance, Arez Operate gives you the operating system to fix it.
You choose.
