Clearing the air on the AWR

July 13, 2010 - PRLog -- The Agency Workers Regulations continue to conjure debate amongst all facets of business and government. With the new coalition supposedly attempting to water down the original legislation put into place by the Labour party, many have taken it upon themselves to discuss both the morality and business implications of such action, but have they got their facts straight?

A recent story in the Mirror appears to allude to loss of workers’ rights as a direct result of a revocation of legislation, including the loss of any potential holiday pay; but temporary agency workers have been entitled to 4 weeks paid holiday, as well as all Bank Holiday entitlements since 1998 as part of the Working Time Directive.

The misconception that temporary agency workers get the raw end of the deal is also a fallacy; in some areas, most notably IT, engineering and Healthcare, temporary workers invariably get paid MORE than their full time counterparts.

The fact is many temporary agency workers choose to work in this fashion as it gives them freedom and flexibility in order to take on new projects and lend their skills in a variety of different markets – this is often an overlooked bonus to having a pool of skilled & flexible workers in an economic climate that faces its long term future with trepidation.

Office staff, builders, health workers and labourers are reportedly paid less than full-time counterparts, and lose their jobs at short notice, but many fail to comment that for the worker, they have more flexibility and the opportunity to try a job before committing to it.
The recruitment of temporary agency workers has quickly become a popular practice among businesses as they prepare for an economic upturn.

By supplementing or boosting the skills of a company’s workforce, the use of temporary agency staff allows businesses to respond quickly to market and seasonal shifts for competitive advantage.

A recent survey from an REC survey of HRDs showed 84% intended to INCREASE their use of temporary workers, citing quick reactions to market difficulties as a primary reason.
Similarly, de Poel, the UK’s number one procurer of temporary agency labour in the private sector found a positive move towards temporary agency workers, regardless of changes in the AWR legislation.

Labour leadership candidate, Ed Miliband, has voiced his concerns over the changes. He said: "Protections for agency workers were hard-fought and hard-won after very extensive consultation.
“The Government seems to be considering rowing back on them in response to big business pressure."

But cabinet back benchers appear to be a little rash in their attacks of the proposed changes and in my opinion, have failed to see the bigger picture.

Whilst it is agreed temporary agency workers should be protected, it should not be at the cost of business and the economy.

The previous Labour Government attempted to gild the Directive. It can still be implemented without damaging business and further protecting the agency workers, and there are companies like de Poel endeavor to ensure temporary agency workers are not being treated unfairly.

We have introduced a scheme to all temporary agency workers working for our clients. TempSure™ is a membership club for temporary workers, offering a range of benefits, including insurance, fitness, retail, dining and leisure activity at discounted rates. As well as personal accident insurance.

We believe this to be a valuable resource to temporary workers as it enhances their leisure activities by offering discounts that would not be directly accessible.”

The Agency Workers Regulation comes into force on 1 October 2011. If you would like any information or guidance regarding how to prepare for this contact the marketing department of de Poel sdempsey@depoel.co.uk

For information regarding TempSure™ click here: http://www.tempsure.com/information/welcome

For Information on all de poel services click here: http://www.depoel.co.uk/

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de Poel is the UK's number one purchaser of temporary agency labour, specialising in the procurement and management of temporary agency labour. We help companies to optimise their relationships with recruitment agencies, adding value, saving money, and improving standards. Our web-based system e-tips® reduces administration and produces a wealth of real-time management information.

The principle of our fee structure is that there is no charge unless we find direct cost savings on your contingent workforce costs. Our fees are taken as a per­centage of the direct savings achieved through agency transactions and are taken on a per hour basis.

de Poel is an independent consultancy holding prime vendor neutral position in the UK. We have a compelling track record of delivering savings between 6-12%