exploitation by manpower

scheming_gypsy

Hammyman wrote: »

I enjoyed my decade plus working as an agency employee. I got paid more than the staff did at most companies I was sent to, many times my basic being their overtime rate. In addition to that, I could take time off when I wanted to without any ramifications, choose who I wanted to work at and if I went to a job that was really bad, pick up the phone and get placed somewhere else the following day/week.

.

and I'm enjoying it as well. Whereas I'm on £22 an hour many people in the same job as perm staff are on £22,000 (previous contracts full time salary) for the year. I can claim tax breaks on fuel and food but they have to fork out for it themselves.
If i stayed in my current contract for a year at say 50 weeks, I'd take home more than perm staff would before tax (including overtime).
I don't even have to care about the place, get involved with politics or pointless projects. and if i want to go on holiday for three months, i can do and then look for my next job when i come back.


it's nice to be cannon fodder.

scheming_gypsy

Hammyman wrote: »

In regards to agencies. The last time I worked for an agency was three years ago to the week. The last time I looked at agency HGV driving jobs, which was this weekend, there were several for the Tesco depot at Goole which is the biggest employer of HGV drivers in my county. The employed drivers there work for Stobarts as Stobarts have the haulage contract for Tesco in the UK. The agencies are paying between £2 to £2.50 an hour more than the Stobarts permanent drivers are getting. Stobarts hourly rate for drivers is widely known in the haulage industry - it isn't a secret.

My Dad used to run an employment agency until a few years ago and some of the temporary drivers were taking home more than he was.

magenta22

daveboy wrote: »

Anybody that works for an agency is what I like to call "cannon fodder".
I work for a large national company that uses agency staff. If the workload is low, the first to go are the agency staff. I love it when they are FORCED to go as I know they are losing money. I love it because they are stupid enough to work for an agency.

Some people work for an agency - not through choice but because they were perhaps made redundant and rather than claim anything they would rather work and maybe gain a few more skills. I wouldn't call that stupid.

daveboy wrote: »

I am a permanent employee - I can be asked if I want to go home early but cannot be forced to.

You should consider yourself one of the lucky ones then.

daveboy wrote: »

I have no sympathy for agency staff.

Lets hope you never have to become one then, as you said - if the work load is low the agency staff go first...... then it's the turn of the perm staff, just bear that in mind. Large national companies are the worst - you are just a number.

Hammyman wrote: »

I enjoyed my decade plus working as an agency employee. I got paid more than the staff did at most companies I was sent to, many times my basic being their overtime rate. In addition to that, I could take time off when I wanted to without any ramifications, choose who I wanted to work at and if I went to a job that was really bad, pick up the phone and get placed somewhere else the following day/week.

Agreed - as a temp you do have a lot more flexibility

Hammyman

daveboy wrote: »

I work for a large national company that uses agency staff. If the workload is low, the first to go are the agency staff. I love it when they are FORCED to go as I know they are losing money. I love it because they are stupid enough to work for an agency.

I am a permanent employee - I can be asked if I want to go home early but cannot be forced to.

You are a permanent employee. If you ask for time off and your employer says no, you can't have it. If you don't like the job and want to leave and your contract says 4 weeks notice, you have to work it. If you have too much time off sick, you can be sacked for it.

I loved working for agencies. It gave me the flexibility of self employment without all the hassle of going to look for the business. However I understood the rules of the game. I understood they charged me out at far more than they paid me and I even knew what that amount was at one client. I understood that the flexibility worked both ways. I understood that all agencies lie through their back teeth and would say anything to get someone in the driving seat.

The people who seem to have problems with agencies are those who don't understand the game. They seem to think its like permanent employment. And because they've been on PAYE all their lives they don't understand the true cost of the £6, £7, £8 or whatever they get paid an hour is to the employer. They somehow find out that the agency is charging £5 an hour more than they're getting paid and are outraged by it even though half or more of that £5 is what an employer would have to pay in employers NI and holiday pay anyway.

Hammyman

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

and I'm enjoying it as well. Whereas I'm on £22 an hour many people in the same job as perm staff are on £22,000 (previous contracts full time salary) for the year. I can claim tax breaks on fuel and food but they have to fork out for it themselves.
If i stayed in my current contract for a year at say 50 weeks, I'd take home more than perm staff would before tax (including overtime).
I don't even have to care about the place, get involved with politics or pointless projects. and if i want to go on holiday for three months, i can do and then look for my next job when i come back.


it's nice to be cannon fodder.

My brother until recently was in a similar boat. After being a manager at a London council LA HB dept, he left to move back up here. He signed up with an agency and ended up being placed with HB departments of a few LAs. He was earning more just processing claims in the back office than he was as a department manager with London weighting allowance. His hourly rate was over 3 times what the council employed staff was. Quite a few staff at the three or four councils he worked at left to join the agency then go back doing their old job but on more money. I don't think he was at any council for less than a year at a time.

grai

Hammyman and scheming_gypsy need to be ignored they are just trolling to antagonise people Carry on the real thread and don't give them the satisfaction

Hammyman is particularly toxic out of the two - but then I've never approved of travellers either!

this is my final comment for this thread

byyeeeee

saintjammyswine

grai wrote: »

Hammyman and scheming_gypsy need to be ignored they are just trolling to antagonise people Carry on the real thread and don't give them the satisfaction

Hammyman is particularly toxic out of the two - but then I've never approved of travellers either!

this is my final comment for this thread

byyeeeee

Guess you wont read my post then. Shame it was going to be great. No point now though.

scheming_gypsy

grai wrote: »

Hammyman and scheming_gypsy need to be ignored they are just trolling to antagonise people Carry on the real thread and don't give them the satisfaction

Hammyman is particularly toxic out of the two - but then I've never approved of travellers either!

this is my final comment for this thread

byyeeeee

yes, we're trolling because we know how agencies work.

Just be careful when you go to Asda tonight.. they're charging you more than they paid :eek:

saintjammyswine

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

yes, we're trolling because we know how agencies work.

Just be careful when you go to Asda tonight.. they're charging you more than they paid :eek:

The swines, do the MPs know about this? How about Watchdog?

scheming_gypsy

they're both in on it as well.

But apparently it doesn't matter what their supplier charges as the contract is between you and Asda, not you and the other company.