Agency Workers Regulations

Tomorrow’s date October 1, 2011 has been looming over us as recruiters for a long time. It’s deadline day for the introduction of the Agency Workers Regulations – a day we’ve been preparing for for around two years.

Yet still there are some companies, mainly small to medium sized ones, which haven’t taken steps to ensure compliance. This may be a ‘head in the sand’ tactic or it may be that they’re not aware it will affect them. But it will.

Every company which uses temporary staff needs to be aware of the legislation and have a policy of implementation.

In short, the AWR brings the terms of basic working and employment condition for temporary agency workers in line with comparable permanent members of staff. Some of their entitlements kick in from day one – such as access to collective facilities and amenities, for instance canteens and child care facilities. Others such as holiday entitlement start after 12 weeks.

The reality is that the majority of temporary staff, who provide a hugely valuable service, are already well treated and rewarded. The regulations will simply provide a safety net.

Like many agencies, we have invested a substantial amount of time and effort in preparing for the implementation and helping our clients prepare. We hope those efforts will help inspire confidence among our clients.

For those who haven’t yet sought advice or help, it’s not too late – in fact it’s a necessity to avoid falling foul of the legislation and potentially facing legal action.

We can provide a free assessment of your situation to ensure you have all the necessary processes in place – please get in touch.