You might decide on a temporary job instead of a permanent one for many reasons. You may want to work temporarily while seeking permanent work, or it may suit you better to work in this way. Some people prefer temporary work as it means you can always work in new places and you don’t need to get too involved with any workplace. You can avoid office politics, which often occur when you are in the same place daily. If you are a temporary worker or considering it, it is essential to understand your rights. These are some of the rights you have as a temporary worker, whether through an agency or directly with the company.
Pay Rights
As with other workers, you are entitled to the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage. The National Living Wage currently stands at £11.44 for adults over 21. It varies for other age groups. It would help if you had no unlawful deductions taken from your pay. For instance, unless previously discussed with you, you should not have payments taken for uniforms, etc. You should always be paid on time and receive payslips. It does not matter if the agency has not received payment from their client; they are still required to pay you on time.
Discrimination
You should receive the same respect as a permanent worker regarding your protected characteristics, which include age, gender, sexual orientation, race, and religion.
Holidays
As a temporary worker, you also have the right to receive at least 5.6 weeks of paid holiday per leave year. You start to accrue holiday entitlement when your assignment begins. If the role finishes and you haven’t taken your full holiday entitlement, you should be paid this in your final pay. When requesting a holiday, you should ask both your manager and your agency (if using one) so they can process this correctly.
Working Hours
You must only work over 48 hours if you opt out of this. You are entitled to 20-minute breaks for over 6 hours of work; anything over this may be unpaid unless the company has a different policy in place. You should have at least one day off each week and 11 hours rest within 24 hours.
Sick Pay
If you are employed as a temporary worker via an agency, you will not receive sick pay via the company, although you may be eligible for statutory sick pay.
Temporary to Permanent
As a temporary worker, the company may take you on as a permanent employee. If you decide to become permanent, the agency must allow this. However, depending on the employment terms, the company may need to pay a fee to the agency.
Notice Period
You don’t have the same rights when it comes to notice period as you do as a permanent worker. For instance, if the company decides they no longer wish to employ you, they could terminate your contract on the same day. The same applies to your rights if you want to leave the company. However, in most cases, either side would give at least one week’s notice.
If you have any concerns about your terms or issues in your temporary assignment, you should contact your agency or line manager.
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