Temporary Workers – A Helping Hand?

The issue

A recent survey by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation revealed that one third of employers plan to recruit more temporary workers. Providing flexibility or specific expertise, temporary workers are proving to be a viable cost solution to many companies under pressure to tighten their belts but also continue to grow. Small businesses also benefit from temporary workers meeting the need for cover and to manage short term projects.

Temporary workers can either be recruited directly by employers or through an agency. The informal relationship between the parties can lead an employer to assume that a 'hire and fire' approach is acceptable. However, the extent of the temporary worker's legal rights and employer's obligations are dependent on their employment status. This is of crucial importance for the employer not least because they will need to comply with legislation but particularly because of the changes due with the Agency Worker Regulations