Advice to a temporary worker please

salsachick_2

I am a temporary worker for a agency (whom I have worked for previously for a year). I have worked for them for 1 year virtually continously apart from a break I too from Novmember until January. When I registered I provided my passport and a utility bill which was accepted and they also applied for a crb check on me which was clear. According to my contract I should be paid one week in arrears by bacs The problem is that last Friday gone I was paid by cheque (which will take 5 days to clear) but only informed of the fact that my wages would be paid by cheque on the Thursday afternoon. Due to this a number of payments that were to be payed from account, was paid by the bank but I had not money in my account to pay these and so the bank has charged me £25 per paid item (a total of £50). I have spoken with the agency and they are refusing to pay these charges. They claim the reason I was paid by cheque as opposed to bacs is that an audit at HQ had requested another copy of my passport and they had not received a signed p46 from me (which I had previously signed and handed back).I obviously feel the agency should pay the bank charges becuase they gave me very little notice of the fact that my payment method would be different this week. What do you suggest ? I was thinking about taking them to small claims court but on what legal foundation ? Thanks very much for any help.

jacklink

why are they querying your passport ?

you can apply for bank charges to be refunded

salsachick_2

Don't know, they claimed it was part of an audit process ( I am born and bred in the UK). I feel the agency should pay the charges, do you know about legal foundation that I can use ?

DKLS

Morally they should pay, Sadly in reality you may find yourself unemployed if you take them to court. Might be worth ringing your bank, and see if they will remove the charges, sometimes they do.

Janey3

This seems very unfair on the Agency's part, but if you remonstrate, they may send you to horrible jobs in the future. I would approach the Bank too, and explain what has happened. Good luck.

Janey3

Horace

I would also register with another agency - one that doesnt lose documents. Explain the situation to your bank and they may just waive the charges.

bookduck

Temp agencies are renown for not paying on time, or paying months late. the common excuse is time sheets not being signed, or not being handed in by the company, or not being fill out correctly. Our temps have the same problem, but once signed, the often fax off their own time sheets, so know when the company is lying. Longest I've known was getting to three monts before they decided to pay.

Get another agency!

Confusedconsumer_2

Go to your local citizens advice bureau, google the address and phone no or look in your local telephone book

salsachick_2

I am registered with other agencies and will be able to gain other employment, so I have this issue covered. I know from talking to other temps that this agency is always messing up with money and it is the principal of the thing. They need to be taught you can't mess around with people and tell lies.

bookduck

Salschick, I'm not saying all agencies do this, but it does seem to be the norm from the contractors we have had.

Rather than make enemies and becoming acidic with the people that feed you and let the problem get you down, find an agent(s) who warm to your charms and you get along with so that they forward and recommend your CV for the better jobs. Think the saying is 'You catch more files with honey than vinegar'

salsachick_2

I fully appreciate what you are saying and I do have other agencies I can find work through that is not the problem and so when I leave this agency they won't be feeding me. What I am looking is any advice regarding any legal foundation I am quite determine on this.........