Temping

aaarrrggghhh

I'd hide my pride and apply for the position. If they ask, tell them the truth - your agency informed you. Your agency is there to make you and them money by finding you employment, so they were well within their rights to tell you about the position arising even if the company didn't.

What's to say you won't get it? Providing you work well with the others in your office, and you are competent at your job - it should be yours, almost by rights.

Good luck.

Ceri_2

Does anyone know the situation on bank holidays and agencies?

I was with reed over christmas & got 8.50 an hour which included holiday pay. But I also accurred holiday hours. If enough holiday hours were accured by the time a bank holiday came about, they used the holiday hours to pay me for the bank holiday.

I'm now with Hays. I get 8.50 a hour with also includes holiday pay. I do not accure any hours & have been told I get nothing for bank holidays.

It's not my fault I can't work on these days. Is there anything I can do?

rkh001

Hi Ceri
The perils of temping! I have worked for both Reed and Hays and I can honestly say that Hays are a bunch of whatsits. They will try and screw you every which way they can.
My understanding of temping is that by law they have to allow you 20 days holiday per year. Now, some agencies (like Office Angels) include bank holidays in that figure but they will pay you the way Reed work out the figures. With other agencies like Hays, they will not pay you because "your holiday pay is included in your normal rate". Effectively what they have done is reduced your hourly rate and put it upto £8.50 that you wanted and said that holiday pay is included. If you look up the original contract that they got you to sign, you will notice that it says something like 11/13th (not sure about this figure) of your pay is holiday pay. It is hard enough when you have bank holidays, or go sick or just want a day or two off but they expect you to save 2/13th of your pay to cover holiday pay. How they work that out is a complete mystery to me.
When I once complained to the agent that I was not happy about this I was told that "we look after the client and not the candidate and if our client agrees to paying us the extra money we will pay you holiday" I was told this by the agent, who at that point was my boyfriend (I am very embarassed about this - shame, shame) and guess what I did - promptly dropped him! That was my one up on him.
Sorry to rant on and go off on a tangent but, worth remembering for the future that if you temp, ask for pay over and above your normal rate. Employment agents, estate agents, anybody that has the word agent after their whatever-they-do are just a bunch of crooks. I have been temping for some 6 years now and it is not fun.
All I can say is that you learn from this. Different agencies work differently but Hays are the worst I have come across. To answer your question in one word "No". Sorry.

Ceri_2

Thanks for the info RKH, at least I know it's not worth my while arguing about it with Hays.

Wish I had managed to get something with reed now.

Mom knows I will be 4 days down over the next 2 months & there is now now chance of me having any holidays between now & October (when I am due to finish covering maternity leave).

Feel like I am going round in circles at the moment, getting extra money in one hand & having to give it out (and not to debts) in the other and I guess the temping thing is getting me down. I just can't seem to find a perm job up here. And I think Hays have stopped looking cos I am in a long term ish temp role.

Ceri

PS, good for you dumping him!

elisebutt65

Whenever I've temped in the past it's always been for Manpower as they've always treated me well - Sick Pay & Holiday Pay etc.

They've always got me work whenever I needed it and got me some good permanent ones as well

amosworks

Pigeongirl wrote:

LOL :rotfl:
But no hard feelings eh?!

lol only a few :rolleyes:

skyepark

For all temps. My mate forewarded me this, it seems pretty legit but need some opinions, as a lot of kiwi temps are doing this where she works.

Set up a limited company through an accountanting service - like
08703500111 (London First). It's free to set up the company...you're the
only person working for the company. its even faster if ur with HSBC.

Then every week your time sheets get sent to your agency (eg adecco or
whatever). Then the agency pays your company. London First set it up so
that you pay yourself minimum wage and pay tax on that. Then the rest is
left to the company as dividends. Since you own the company and the
accounts in your name its yours. But the London First people set it all
up for you - free. You can claim ALL expenses like travel. Give them a
call and see. But this is all if you're just temping.

londongirl

I'm worried now - i've never temped before and signed up yesterday to Hays in london. They have put me forward for an 8 week role. The thing is the job sounded quite good as i wanted something in the public sector or charity sector. But i have an appointment with office angels today so guess i will see who offers me something first. Or is it better to wait a little longer for office angels if they are better?
The job at Hays was paying £9.50 an hour inc holiday pay 60p per hour or something she told me was holiday pay. But it will cost me £7 a day to get into london so i guess if office angels can get me something around the £8 or £8.50 mark then thats better?
Am getting quite worried anyway as im not sure if either agency are able to get hold of my most recent employer as she is hard to get hold of anyway (i couldn't get hold of her even when I was working there!) and she breaks up for easter on a half day today.

Anyway - for people that have temped before what are the things i should look out for or consider, or any other tips? And in general should i go for the first thing that comes up even if its with Hays or should i really avoid them are they really that bad?

Ceri_2

londongirl wrote:

I'm worried now - i've never temped before and signed up yesterday to Hays in london. They have put me forward for an 8 week role. The thing is the job sounded quite good as i wanted something in the public sector or charity sector. But i have an appointment with office angels today so guess i will see who offers me something first. Or is it better to wait a little longer for office angels if they are better?
The job at Hays was paying £9.50 an hour inc holiday pay 60p per hour or something she told me was holiday pay. But it will cost me £7 a day to get into london so i guess if office angels can get me something around the £8 or £8.50 mark then thats better?
Am getting quite worried anyway as im not sure if either agency are able to get hold of my most recent employer as she is hard to get hold of anyway (i couldn't get hold of her even when I was working there!) and she breaks up for easter on a half day today.

Anyway - for people that have temped before what are the things i should look out for or consider, or any other tips? And in general should i go for the first thing that comes up even if its with Hays or should i really avoid them are they really that bad?

Whether hays are good or bad? I'm currently with hays, have been with reed & addecco & pertemps in the past.
I like redd better for the holiday pay stuff. Hays have been fine with me it's just the holiday pay I don't like.

No one can tell you what to do, so I will just tell you what I did.

I had been out of work for 3 weeks earlier this year, and I was desperate for a job. I had managed to get a job at Npower, working 12-8 shifts & on a really crap pay, but it was better than JSA. But Hays managed to get me a temp job for 6 months covering maternity. I took the hays one cos of the massive pay difference. I hate the journey (they put me south of the river tyne) and I get stuck in so much traffic, I am using far more petrol than I like to and I get stressed in the traffic (!!!!!!s cutting me up!) But I like the job, I like the people & once I get there I forget about the journey. I just hope that when I leave I can find either something perm (my preference) or something with reed (holiday pay thing again).

One thing I would ask office angels is how holidays & bank holidays work.

stugall

Hi
Interesting position - anyone help?
I have run various companies myself in the Highlands but am having a career break for 18 months to try something different.
Anyway, some time ago I was at Stirling Uni and did a Diploma of Education (equivalent PGCE) with my English degree... and decided to register with some teaching agencies.
I registered fairly easily with HAYS Education Division, they did a CRB, and started doing some supply teaching in Highland schools and can say I really have enjoyed it much more than I'd ever imagined!!!
Now... I receive a daily rate of £139 a day (which I had to negotiate for over a two-week period, using my business skills, which is reduced through tax, NI and holiday pay) but several schools I have worked for suggest I should register with them direct - they like me and I like them and find me easier to deal with and flexible!!!

1. What ''mark-up'' do agencies typically charge schools?
2. Can I invoice the schools direct as I can't see what actual work the
agencies physically do to earn their money, other than pre-call the schools from time to time to ascertain needs for the forthcoming weeks?

I would welcome any replies,
Regards,
Stuart.