Agency workers
Temporary agency workers offer great flexibility as an additional labour resource. They can fill in staffing gaps, often at very short notice, and can be engaged for anything from a few hours to weeks or months at a time.
Under the Agency Workers Regulations 2010, on completing a qualifying period with a hirer, agency workers qualify for the same basic employment conditions that they would have had if directly recruited.
If an employer wishes to take on an agency worker as a permanent member of staff, it may have to pay a “transfer fee” (sometimes known as a “temp to perm” fee) to the agency supplying the worker.
Young and old most likely to miss out on paid holiday and payslips
The youngest and oldest staff working in atypical ways, such as temporary work, are the most at risk of missing...
Work no more insecure than 20 years ago
Work in the UK is no more insecure than it was in 1998, despite claims that there has been an...
Single labour market body to enforce minimum wage and holiday rights
The government has announced proposals for a single labour market enforcement body which will have powers to enforce minimum wage...
Temporary workers missing out on skills development
Almost one million temporary workers are being excluded from skills development opportunities because of a poorly-designed apprenticeships system, the Recruitment...
Reliance on agency workers increases as confidence in economy drops
UK employers are increasingly likely to hire agency workers amid continuing falls in confidence in the economy, according to the...
New EU employment law to be reviewed by Parliament post-Brexit
Theresa May will today unveil how the UK government will handle emerging EU laws concerning workers’ rights after Brexit.
The...
The Good Work Plan: how should employers prepare?
In December 2018, the government set out the reforms it planned to introduce as part of the Good Work Plan,...
Agency workers earn £400 a year less than directly employed colleagues
Agency workers are subject to a “pay penalty” of 16p an hour if they are in the same job for...
Swedish derogation repeal likely in gig economy shake-up
Prime minister Theresa May is planning a series of measures to toughen workers’ rights, including the ending of the Swedish...
Most employers back idea for stable contract requests
Two-thirds of employers back the introduction of a right for agency workers and zero-hours contract workers to request a stable...
Labour enforcement body calls for crackdown on worker exploitation
The Director for Labour Market Enforcement has called for higher financial penalties for employers who exploit workers and flout employment...
What are the legal rights of agency workers?
“Presenteeism” has more than tripled since 2010, says the CIPD, hitting a record high.
Fifth of employers uncertain about permanent hiring plans
Economic uncertainty continues to affect hiring decisions, with almost one-fifth (18%) of employers unsure whether they need to increase their...
Public backs keeping workers’ rights from EU
Britons overwhelmingly back keeping – often strengthening – workers’ rights derived from the EU post Brexit, according to research published...
Boom in agency worker use over last five years
Four in 10 (43%) organisations increased their use of agency workers over the last five years as they struggled to...
