News
Agency Workers Regulations not hitting use of temporary staff
Published on 5th January 2012 by Marie Bliss
The December release of the REC's jobs outlook figures shows that 81% of employers plan to either grow their agency workforce or keep it at existing levels. Of those businesses, 31% planned to increase the size of their temporary workforce in the short term, compared with 22% at the same point last year.
The AWR which came into force on 1 October 2011 stated that organisations must assign all temporary staff to the same levels of pay, benefits & working conditions as all permanent staff and this is once they have completed a qualifying period of 12 weeks. There was initial fear that some employers would choose to cut temporary staff before the 12 week qualifying period.
Reports by Allen & Overy suggested that one in three employers would end contracts at the end of their 11th week to avoid having to allow them the same terms as perm staff.
Tom Hadley (director of policy and professional services at the REC), said "It is not going to lead to a collapse in the temporary-worker market. The temporary market as a whole is still strong and organisations' hiring intentions are also encouraging."
Jo Faragher 22 December 2011, Personnel today 13:50