Temporary Agency Workers Update
The European Parliament approved the Directive on Temporary Agency Work in October 2008 and it was finally adopted on 19 November 2008. The Directive must be implemented by the EU Member States including the UK by 5 December 2011.
Looking at the Directive ...
The Directive applies to temporary agency
workers who are assigned to “user undertakings”
(ie businesses) to work temporarily under their
supervision and direction.
The basic working and employment conditions for temporary
agency workers must be the same as those who had been
recruited directly to do the job (ie permanent staff). This includes
protection for pregnant and nursing mothers (presumably including
maternity leave), protection from all types of discrimination and
the same pay as the permanent staff. In the UK, it is proposed that
temporary agency workers will only qualify for the same pay as the
permanent staff after working for a minimum of 12 weeks.