Advice for hiring temporary staff

Here’s some advice on hiring temporary staff, to make sure you don’t breech employee rights.

Temps are entitled to breaks and limits on working time

Although, like any other employee, they can opt out of working time restrictions.

They are still entitled to a notice period

If it’s time to terminate their contract of employment, they are entitled to a notice period, just like any other member of staff.

You should provide temporary staff with the following information:

• The start date
• The likely length of the work
• The type of work
• About any expenses that may be payable
• The location
• Their hours
• About any health and safety risks, and steps you’ve taken to control these risks
• About any experience, training or qualifications needed for the role

They’re allowed access to shared facilities

This doesn’t just mean toilets and the staff canteen – it means child care facilities, prayer rooms, staff car parks – the lot.

After 12 weeks…

After being employed for 12 weeks, temporary staff are entitled to the same terms and conditions as if they’d been recruited directly by you. This is known as the qualifying period. 

Breaks in employment either:

• Count towards the qualifying period
• Pause the qualifying period
• Reset the qualifying period to zero

Adoption, paternity and maternity leave are all breaks that count towards the qualifying period.

This article is from Tirebuck Recruitment, a specialist Temporary Recruitment Company in Solihull.

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