Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Agency workersEmployment lawHR practice

Agency worker legislation could lead to less reliance on temps

by Louisa Peacock 22 Jan 2010
by Louisa Peacock 22 Jan 2010

Agency worker legislation laid before parliament yesterday will cause thousands of employers to review their staffing arrangements and could lead to a lesser reliance on agency workers, a lawyer has claimed.


The Agency Workers Directive gives two million temps the right to equal treatment after just 12 weeks, and will come into force in October 2011.


Employers have been warned to start preparing for the Act now, by reviewing their use of agency workers and temporary staff. The basic pay of temps who have worked with a hirer for more than 12 weeks, as well as bonuses and other terms regarding working time, holidays and breaks will all have to be equalised.


Mark Hammerton, partner at law firm Eversheds, said: “The initial reaction of employers may be to decide to limit future assignments to less than 12 weeks. Other employers may seek to consolidate by moving to exclusive arrangements with larger agencies.


“Other alternatives may be to reduce reliance on agency workers by recruiting employees directly, or perhaps creating an in-house ‘bank’ of casual staff. Other employers will simply expect their existing workforces to absorb the extra work rather than hiring additional temporary workers.”


Manufacturers’ group the EEF was glad the government had opted to implement the European legislation at the last possible date. However, David Yeandle, EEF head of employment policy, said: “We remain concerned about the costs and administrative burdens that this new legislation will impose on employers and, in particular, about the decision to include some bonus payments in the definition of pay that will be used for equal treatment.


John Cridland, CBI deputy director-general, stressed that the regulations were “bad news for the economy.” He said: “Employment agencies help more than a million people find work, and these proposals will make it more expensive for companies to use agency temps by increasing bureaucracy.


Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“In a week when the benefits of a flexible labour market have shown themselves in better-than-expected unemployment figures, it is regrettable that the government is implementing European legislation that will harm that flexibility.”


The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), which represents the UK recruitment industry, warned that guidance for recruiters and employers must be effective and provide absolute clarity on how the directive should be implemented to avoid limiting temporary and contract job opportunities.

Louisa Peacock

previous post
Driver told he ‘stank of BO’ awarded £3,000 for unfair dismissal
next post
Network Rail recruitment campaign aims to attract female recruits

You may also like

Fire and rehire: the relocation question

22 May 2025

Minister defends Employment Rights Bill at Acas conference

16 May 2025

CBI chair Soames accuses ministers of not listening...

16 May 2025

EHRC bows to pressure and extends gender consultation

15 May 2025

Contract cleaner loses EAT race discrimination appeal

14 May 2025

Construction workers win compensation claim against defunct employer

9 May 2025

Zero-hours workers’ rights to be extended from beyond...

8 May 2025

Employment tribunal backlog up 23% in a year

7 May 2025

Ministers urged to outlaw misuse of NDAs

7 May 2025

Employment Rights Bill must be tightened to protect...

1 May 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+