Agency Workers Regulations on Track for October 2011

In a written ministerial statement issued this week, Edward Davey, Minister for Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs BIS, announced that there will be no amendments to the Agency Workers Regulations 2010 and so they will come into force as drafted in October 2011.

The Agency Workers Regulations were published in January 2010 under the Labour government, but have been the subject of a review by the Coalition government. Employers have expressed a range of concerns regarding the regulations, arguing for amendments that might reduce the burden it is believed they will place on business. Mr Davey stated that he had considerable sympathy for some of the arguments, particularly proposals to simplify the definition of "pay" under the regulations (especially as far as the administration of performance-related bonuses is concerned) and the administrative requirements around the application of the qualifying period to patterns of infrequent, short