Agency Workers Benefit from New Rights

Campaign for Maximum Workplace Temperature Launched The TUC says that hundreds of thousands of agency workers across the UK will benefit from improved working conditions arising from the new equal treatment rights for temps which came into effect on Saturday (1 October).

Unlike fixed-term employees and part-time workers, until now agency workers have not had a right to the same pay and holiday rights as directly employed staff in the same workplace. This lack of rights has left them open to abuse, says the TUC.

Nearly half (46 per cent) of the agency workers who responded to a YouGov survey commissioned by the TUC said they received less holiday entitlement than permanent staff. One in three (33 per cent) reported getting less pay for doing the same work as directly employed staff and nearly one in three (28 per cent) said they lost out on overtime and unsocial hours payments.According to the Labour Force Survey (LFS), the average agency worker gets five days less holiday a year than permanent employees.

The LFS also found that temps earned on average 68 per cent of the pay of permanent workers - a 32 per cent pay gap. From the first day of an assignment, agency temps working in the private, public or voluntary sector will have a right to use any facilities provided by the hirer - such as a crèche, canteen or transport services. They will also be entitled to information about internal vacancies at the company they are working for, and to be given the opportunity to apply for them.

After 12 weeks in the same role with the same hirer, agency workers will be entitled to the same pay, holiday entitlement and working hours as permanent staff, and they will also receive improved maternity rights.

The TUC believes these rights will help stamp out some of the exploitation that agency temps have faced at work, will help young workers gain a stepping stone into permanent employment and protect the well-being of pregnant agency workers.

TUC September 2011