FAQ

There are important differences between temporary agency workers, and people who have found a fixed-term or permanent job through an employment agency.

Companies often use an employment agency to find them suitable candidates for a job opening, and then hire someone based on the candidates put forward by the agency. In this situation, your employment contract would be with the company that hires you, rather than the employment agency.

If you use employment agencies to find permanent or fixed-term work you are still protected under the rules that govern employment agencies, although not all of the rules will apply to your situation, for example, the employment agency will not pay your salary.

When you are employed directly by a company you will have different employment rights as a permanent or fixed-term member of staff, than you would as an agency worker.

What is an agency worker?

As an agency worker you will either have a contract for service or a contract of employment with the agency who finds you work. This work is often called ‘temporary work’, 'temping' or ‘agency work’. The firm who hires you pays a fee to the agency, and the agency pays your wages. The agency has to pay you even if the hiring company has not paid the agency. Agencies cannot charge you for finding work (although there are some exceptions if you are looking for work in the entertainment or modelling industies).

There are several advantages to being an agency worker, you can:

• use it as a stepping stone to the job you want
• use it as a way of entering or re-entering the job market
• use it to work more flexibly to help balance domestic responsibilities
• move jobs easily and with little or no notice
• try out different kinds of work

Flexibility for both worker and employer is one of the features of agency work. As an agency worker you have the flexibility to take up and leave jobs at short notice, but the hiring company also has the flexibility to finish temporary work without being liable for unfair dismissal or redundancy pay. You should check your contract with your agency as it may include a notice period you may be obliged to give.