Olympic boost for temp positions

With the London 2012 Olympics now just two months away, there are expectations of a huge rise in the use of temporary agency workers. Whilst they are commonplace in businesses that naturally have peak periods, such as retail and tourism, the games will mean companies unused to contingent workforces will be reliant on them to meet demand.

Businesses planning to use temporary agency workers to cope with a rise in demand during the Olympics must make sure they fully understand the Agency Workers Regulations.

The duration of the games means many workers will only be employed for a few weeks, much less than the 12-week qualifying period. But, the regulations have an impact before the qualifying period expires. Whilst many larger employers who use temporary agency workers year-round will already have the processes in place to deal with the regulations, those anticipating a high demand purely during the Olympics may fall foul.

Under the regulations there are ‘Day One Rights’, which, unsurprisingly, a temporary agency worker is entitled to from their very first day. These include access to shared facilities and amenities or services, such as crèches, canteens and transport services, and information on job vacancies.

For further information on the rules, please see our Agency Workers Regulations website.