Everything you need to know about Employing Temporary Workers via an Agency
If your business needs to rely on temporary workers via an Agency to provide flexibility and short-term cover to support staff absences or an unexpected peak in demand, we can help. If you’re not sure how to access temporary candidates or how the process works, here’s everything you need to know before getting started.
Benefits of employing Temporary Workers
Temporary workers can help your business to avoid disruption to your business during busy periods or to cover when staff are sick or on holiday. They can be hired on either a fixed term contract for a set period or on a flexible rolling contract renewed on a weekly basis.
You must set out the hours that you expect the temporary worker to complete each week, but you only pay for the hours they work (not including any break periods). You can end the assignment at any time if you are unhappy or decide you no longer need the extra support (usually with 24 hours’ notice).
Recruiting a Temporary Worker
Much like permanent recruitment, you set out what you are looking for in terms of skills, experience and any qualifications required. You also need to be clear on the working hours and what type of work the temporary worker would be required to do.
We then supply you with a choice of temporary candidates. We perform all the necessary checks to make sure candidates are suitable – including verifying their qualifications, taking references and ensuring they are eligible to work in the UK. You can choose whether you would like to interview candidates, (either face-to-face, over the telephone or via video call), or simply choose a candidate to get started straight away.
Starting the Temporary Assignment
Once you have decided to offer a Temporary Worker an assignment, we will ask you to sign a copy of our Terms of Business, as well as sending us a copy of your health and safety policy and tell us about other employees performing the same role in your company.
We’ll check the Temporary Worker in on their first day and keep in touch with you on a weekly basis. We’ll send you a Timesheet which you’ll need to complete and return at the end of each week to tell us what they’ve worked. We then send you an invoice to be paid within 14 days.
Legal Rights of Temporary Workers
We are responsible for paying the Temporary Worker on time each week, including taking care of their National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). It’s also our responsibility to make sure all temporary workers get their rights under working time regulations and receive holiday pay.
After 12 weeks’ continuous employment in the same role, temporary workers are entitled to the same terms and conditions as permanent employees, including pay, working time, breaks and annual leave. At the start of the assignment, we will therefore ask you to provide us with information about the relevant terms and conditions in your business so we can ensure after 12 weeks the temporary worker gets equal treatment.
You are still responsible for their health and safety whilst at work (regardless of where they are working) and you must allow them to use any shared facilities during their assignment (such as a canteen).
If you would like to discuss your employing Temporary Workers via an Agency, please contact the team at Grassroots. We would be happy to answer any questions you may have and provide a sample of candidates suited to your business needs. Submit your vacancy details and request a call back today.
