Temp staff snowed in

purplelotus

Hello, I missed work like most people in Surrey yesterday due to the snow

("Up to ten inches!" they said on the news, nearer 14 inches where I was - no way could I have driven in safely and it is too far to walk).

I am a temp. I have to get my timesheets signed off each week stating the hours I have worked and I can't pretend I was in yesterday!

I phoned my agency today and they said that I have to ask the company to sign off my hours anyway if they will but that they don't have to. Technically though, surely the agency is my employer? And if so are they entitled to effectively dock my pay due to my inability to get in?

The BBC website says this:


Q. I couldn't get to work because of the snow. Can my boss dock my pay?
Very few jobs - except perhaps some of those in industries such as construction - have a clause written into their contract saying that if employees cannot get in to work because of weather they lose a day's pay.
Employees have statutory protection against an unauthorised deduction being made from their wages, so if the employer has no contractual right to deduct pay and if the employee does not consent, deducting pay would be potentially subject to legal challenge. In any event, given the widespread disruption in many parts of the country and travel warnings not to make non-essential journeys, it is unlikely that many managers would take this step.

I don't want to lose a day's pay because of this when all my colleagues who are permanent employees that didn't come in don't, it doesn't seem fair and I personally think the agency should pay - it's just one day for goodness sake and I've worked for them for 2 years! What do I do - who should I harrass?!

SomeBozo

You don't have the same contract of employment as the permanant employees so its not fair to compare the two.

As far as your situation goes, as your a temp through a agency, you only get paid for what hours you perform, hence I can't see you have a case to get paid for the day off.

Bozo

MrC_Beds

If you are on a standard hourly paid agency assignment, the only way you will get paid for the day off is if the client is prepared to sign off your timesheet to that effect - the agency will only pay those hours that have been documented on the timesheet.

glossgal

I'm not sure what's different between this and having the day off sick or to go to a hospital appt or job interview etc-the nature of temp work as you'll be well aware is that you don't get the perks of regular staff when it comes to stuff like this. Its frustrating for you but if you weren't there why should you be paid for it?? At best you can maybe ask to take it as holiday.

briona

purplelotus wrote: »

Technically though, surely the agency is my employer? And if so are they entitled to effectively dock my pay due to my inability to get in?

The agency isn't "docking your pay" – as a temp, you get paid for the hours you work and if you haven't worked any hours, then there's no pay to dock! Whilst, that may sound harsh, I'm in exactly the same situation as you.

purplelotus wrote: »

I don't want to lose a day's pay because of this when all my colleagues who are permanent employees that didn't come in don't, it doesn't seem fair and I personally think the agency should pay - it's just one day for goodness sake and I've worked for them for 2 years! What do I do - who should I harrass?!

Given the choice I wouldn't lose a couple of days' money either but as you no doubt already know, temps aren't afforded the same rights as permanent employees. Worth remembering is the fact that as a temp I get paid over twice the money I used to earn as a permanent member of staff, so that extra money covers me for loss of income on "snow days" and the like...

3plus1

Not sure why you're expecting to get paid for a day you didn't work.

I used to be a temp and I would have called my agency before 9.30am to tell them I couldn't get in because of the weather, and I would not have expected to get anything. Actually, if the agency had managed to find someone who could make it in, I would not have been surprised if that person then took over the work and I was out of an assignment.

RichyRich

You're not employed by anyone - you don't have a contract of employment. As a temp you are an agency worker - as others have said if you don't work you've no right to pay.

wigglebeena

I'm a temp and I've never expected to get paid for even ten minutes I wasn't at my desk ready to work. I can see it's aggravating when you've been there so long. Do they never have any permanent vacancies come up?

Deep_In_Debt

I'm a temp too, I live in Surrey and made it in yesterday. However, if I'd hadn't made it in (although I worked a short day) I wouldn't expect to get paid as I am hourly paid. I've been temping with the same agency at the same company for 4 months and yes it is frustrating but that's temping unfortunately.

purplelotus

*sigh* Ok then, thanks for all your replies, I'll smile sweetly and ask if they'll sign off my timesheet and if they don't I won't take it personally or be harrassing anyone!