Ageny work vs Permanent work

gino76ph

Hi! I am currently working as a community nurse for a big Trust in London. But i have been thinking/entertaining the idea of going for agency where there is more money and i get to choose which days i want to work which are the very essence why people go to agencies. But i want to ask:
1. Any job "security" at all working for agency?
The agency i am applying for said they have a contract for me ready and waiting just complete all the paperworks, DBS, etc. But when an agency said that the 6-month contract can roll over and will help me with a new contract once the current one is finished you think are they being truthful about it?

2. Support
I feel i have "that" support here in my Trust. But due to staff shortages the work has been quite draining. Progress is stagnant. Stress & responsibility shoots up. Learning new things is also somewhat staggered. But with an agency will they also offer that same level of support if (knock on wood) you don't get along well with your manager or some colleagues?

3. Sickeness
My perception is that if i get sick most of the time the "negative impact" on that to an agency is greater than that of the NHS because after all an agency is a business and they want their clients to be happy and want you to be "super nurse" and not be sick most of the times.

4. Skills
Being permanent there is still that room for trainings, study days. etc. But with agency can one still "ask" to have some training whilst your in your current job?


I would appreciate all your advice & insight guys. Thank you.

dawyldthing

I think one of the problems working for an agency (from my past experience) is that you end up working all the shifts that others don't (evenings, weekends, overnight shifts). Plus you don't have the job security as if an agency says they don't want you back then that's that. The extra pay can be good, but if you are on short assignments you can't get a mortgage etc. the pay can be good and you can turn shifts down, but if you turn too many down in many roles they have the next person in the door as when working for the agency you are worth x to them and while there are some good and some bad it's swings and roundabouts

gino76ph

The only positive things i hear is of course 1. the pay and 2. you can work anywhere and anytime you want.

You have very good arguments and advice there. But due to opposition "from someone" i had to abandon my quest for agency work till maybe Spring. It's just that the thought of visiting patients in their houses during this Winter time is well...just too cold. I prefer indoors.

FBaby

The plus: Pay pay and pay! and flexibility to some extent, although as above, this can backfire
The negative: No NHS pension, no NHS sickness entitlement, no NHS paid holidays.

What you need to do is work out what you can be paid for the hours you wish to do. Then make an assumption of how much you would want to put into a private pension (if any), how many days off for holiday, and how many sick days pay you want to put aside just in case. Then also take out what you think is reasonable in terms of time in between placements if you don't get something else right away.

Then assess if the extra money is still worth it.

gino76ph

I do not know if this is relevant but with the NHS if you happen to be sick in number of times in a span of so & so months you have this shadow telling you that you will be called by the HR, read the sickness policy, etc.

With an agency there is no such thing isn't it?

Gavin83

gino76ph wrote: »

2. you can work anywhere and anytime you want.

Not sure this is true, you basically work what hours the agency want you to work. You reject too many shifts you won't get any work from them again as they'll just consider you unreliable. They'll want someone who can consistantly earn them money and you do work for them after all, not the other way round.

You do get paid much better for an agency job but theres a reason for this, it's to make up for all the other lost benefits. The only way I'd bother with agency work was if I could at least double my salary (ideally more) or if I was super desperate for work.

Oh, and if your one of these people thats regularly sick I certainly wouldn't bother.

Andy_L

gino76ph wrote: »

I do not know if this is relevant but with the NHS if you happen to be sick in number of times in a span of so & so months you have this shadow telling you that you will be called by the HR, read the sickness policy, etc.

With an agency there is no such thing isn't it?

Correct, but thats because if you're sick they won't pay you so they don't care and, as said previously, if you decline to many offers they will stop contacting you to offer work