Thanks to a groundbreaking deal between employers, trade unions and the government, temporary and agency workers will now be entitled to the same rights as permanent staff after a period of 12 weeks.

Although sick pay and pension rights are not covered by the deal, temporary workers have been granted the right to the same pay and leave entitlements as permanent workers. The UK has over 1.3 million temporary workers, constituting an important part of the workforce and giving employers the flexibility they need to cope with fluctuations in workflow.

Squaring the rights of temporary workers against the needs of employers is a difficult balancing act. An EC directive was passed on Monday 9^th June which presses for equality for temporary staff from day one - however, it is thought that the prior 12 week agreement will allow the UK exemption from the directive. Temporary work is seen by many as a good route into employment, so any disincentive for employers to take on temporary staff could be deleterious to the economy as a whole.

If you have any issues relating to employment law - from the perspective of either employer or employee - don’t hesitate to get in touch with Ashby Cohen today. Specialists in UK employment law, with many years of experience on both sides of the employee/employer divide, Ashby Cohen give professional, qualified advice in all areas of this complex and ever-evolving sphere of law.

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