Knowing Your Temporary Worker Rights

There are many different reasons why you might find yourself as a temporary workers. It may be that you have been struggling to find permanent work or a waiting for the right job to come up. Or maybe it is a conscious decision as you plan to go travelling or want to work on other projects or be around for your children. Whatever you reasons are, it is important that you know your rights a temporary worker.

Holiday Rights

Holiday leave is the area where employers have usually tried to fleece temporary workers. However, there is legislation is place to say that temporary workers are entitled to holiday pay from the day that they start work. You need to be aware of this as some agencies will factor it into your hourly rate and you need to make sure they are clear about how much they are paying you in wages and how much of it is holiday pay. Every worker, whether permanent or temporary, is entitled to 20 days paid holiday each year.

Universal Rights

Everybody who takes on paid work is entitled to receive the national minimum wage for all the hours that they work and must not have any unlawful deductions taken from their pay. You can also not be made to work more than 48 hours a week unless you choose to do so. If you are required to operate any heavy or dangerous machinery then you must be given proper training and your health and safety must be looked after. In addition to this, you have the same protection against discrimination as permanent workers would.

Sick Pay and Maternity Pay

Sick Pay and maternity leave is a bit of a grey area for temporary workers. If you have been working for the same employer for over three months then you are entitled to statutory sick pay. When it comes to maternity rights, these are a bit more complicated.

Temporary workers are entitled to maternity pay as long as you have worked for the same employer for 26 weeks by the 15th week before your baby is due and have earned at least £72 a week. However, you employers do not have to give temporary workers maternity leave and there is no obligation to keep their role open for them.

What You Need To Know About Dismissal

Again, the rules about unfair dismissal are a bit fuzzy when it comes to temporary workers. If you have been working for the same employer for over a year then you can claim for unfair dismissal but there may also be some loopholes that can help you claim before this time, for example if you are let go because you are pregnant.

Just because you are a temporary worker doesn’t mean you don’t have any rights, although they will be different to those of permanent workers. You are still entitled to receive minimum wage, holiday pay and have the same health and safety and discrimination protection. You may not be able to claim sick pay or maternity pay but try and get all these points covered so you are clear about them when you start work.