Employment Agency havent paid

Mr.Generous · 10 February 2018 at 4:05PM

I imagine this agency makes a nice bonus when they don't pay young / casual / transient workers for a weeks work, most probably grumble a bit, rant over the phone and then just leave it.

I bet they still invoiced the building company for the work.

When someone cheats you like this its really annoying, If it wasn't run by some huge bruiser I'd be tempted to turn up at the office and make a bloody nuisance of myself being quite angry and intimidating.

I know we should always look to proper legal channels but that does take a lot more time and effort and they may well have an unoficial policy of paying up if things get nasty.

As a self employed worker I've had it done twice to me - once not paying for work claiming not happy after having done some themselves and made a right mess, once for weighed in scrap metal!

the scrap metal guy employed "Vinny", a traveler gentleman of some 6ft6 18 stone, relative of Tyson Fury (Yes really). I went the trading standards route.

Second guy a weedy weasel who hid behind his girlfriend. I tried everything except court because the amount was so small, he paid something in the end so I let it drop. Impossible to wring his neck, much as I was tempted as there is a family connection to his GF.

In both cases I expended more time and effort into getting payment than it was worth, I.E. If I'd just spent the time working I'd have made more money. However people shouldn't be allowed to get away with it, and there is some satisfaction in hassling them!

Good luck!!

#Georgie · 11 February 2018 at 2:23PM

Son has told the agency he is happy to go there and speak to them and they told him that he wouldn't be allowed into the building. He said no problem he will wait outside. Yes it did take time and lots of phone calls and emails trying to find who to report this agency to plus all the calls to the actual agency but luckily I have an understanding Boss hence why I'm trying to sort this rather than my son who is at work on site all day. I will update when I hear back from BERR. Also for anyone that needs to record phone calls "Total Recall" is a great app to download! I have recorded the office manager screaming down the phone about how busy she is and hasn't got time to deal with my son not being paid!

Ja7188 · 11 February 2018 at 2:56PM

Just to be clear, your son is now going to speak to the agency - but rather than calling, he's going to go there in person and wait outside, presumably with the expectation that someone is going to come out and speak to him, on the basis that they won't let him in? I'm really not sure how this makes sense...

I have a couple of concerns about you recording your conversation with the office manager - firstly that I'm not sure of the legality of recording phone calls without the other person's consent and secondly, I wonder how irate you yourself were on the call? If you raised your voice and/ or swore, using a recording could well backfire on you.

#Georgie · 11 February 2018 at 4:46PM

No of course he's not going there to wait outside he just said he would. Apparently it's legal to record calls you just can't play them to a third party. I did tell them each time that the call was being recorded. Of course I wasn't irate and certainly would never swear. In all the calls I made both recorded and not recorded I was calm, polite and pleasant. Screaming and shouting gets you nowhere fast!

Ja7188 · 11 February 2018 at 6:53PM

That's REALLY not good - your son stating that he's going to wait outside their could easily be taken as a threat and there's a very good chance they'll have a recording of him saying it, which they could potentially reference during the course of any investigation...!!

I think you probably need to tread VERY carefully from this point.

#Georgie · 1 March 2018 at 6:03PM

Hi

I have just come to this Forum to update and thank those members that tried to help me and gave me constructive advice!

Today the Agency finally paid my Son for the hours he worked on the Construction Site back in January. After researching I discovered that Employment Agencies are governed by The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and I emailed them on behalf of my son. They emailed back the next day and asked for all the information and advised me that it can take up to 6 weeks from start to finish. All my son had to do was sign an authorisation stating that they could use his name when they contacted the Agency. They advised me that even if someone only works for one hour they have to be paid. I received a phone call from BEIS on Tuesday and they told me that the reason the Agency gave for not paying my son was that 6.5 hours was a 'strange' amount of hours and they had to get confirmation from the Client even though the Client had sent in a signed time sheet! (No mention of smoking)

Maybe people will think why bother with such a small amount especially as after deductions my son received the total amount of £54.71 BUT my son paid his fares and went there in good faith, sent there by an Agency that, according to the 1* Google reviews, have a habit of sending workers to Companies that did not request them. So whether its £54 or £540 the agency were still paid and did not pay the worker!

I sincerely hope that this thread may help someone else and please do not be put off by the negative remarks. The email address for BEIS is [EMAIL="eas@bis.gsi.gov.uk"]eas@bis.gsi.gov.uk[/EMAIL] should anyone need it.

I haven't named the Agency on here but if anyone wants to know so they can avoid it or if I am allowed to name them then please let me know.

Again thank you to those that helped and hope that this thread helps another person who may be in the same boat.

steampowered · 1 March 2018 at 6:29PM

Thank you for the update. That is very good information regarding BIS.

Ja7188 · 3 March 2018 at 10:12AM

Glad to hear you got it sorted in the end - presumably the amount they've paid corresponds with the net pay stated on his last payslip...?

I can't help wondering why companies are still using this agency if it's really that bad - the recruitment market is very competitive and I'd image that most companies get dozens of calls from recruiters offering their services every day!

#Georgie · 3 March 2018 at 10:39AM

Yes he was paid exactly what it stated on the pay slip.
I would imagine that the Companies that ask for workers don't know that the workers aren't getting paid. It wasn't easy finding out who to complain to so I expect many simply don't bother. As I said judging by the Google reviews on this Agency its something they do all the time.
As I also work full time I haven't got the time to research further.

Ja7188 · 3 March 2018 at 10:53AM

Indeed - I'm surprised that they don't just vote with their feet and use other agencies (assuming that this agency are really that bad). In your shoes I wouldn't bother trying to take it further either - onwards and upwards...

Employment Agency havent paid

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