AGENCY WORKERS

SXX

I am an agency temp who was working as at 28.02 via an agency on PAYE.  My assignment did come to a natural end however SINCE then my agency or other agencies I am registered with do not have work for me because their temp business has ceased due to Covid 19 so they are not able to offer me any work as there is no work out there.   REC says a business has to identify those workers for whom it will not have any work for at least 3 weeks. This criteria should not only apply to regular salaried agency staff, it should apply to agency workers too.  Because under normal times, I would be working.

SXX

The Govt guidance says  : This scheme is only for employees on agency contracts who are not working (and who were on paye as at 28.02 or whatever the new date is).   Where does it say that the scheme is NOT for agency workers who are NOT working because their contract came to a natural end.   If agency worker who was on paye as at 28.02 is not working now, it is because there is no work out there because of Covid 19. 

SXX

I haven't seen any Govt guidance where it refers to agency temps as  "contract for services" employees.  The guidance says  
Employees can be on any type of employment contract, including full-time, part-time, agency, flexible or zero-hour contracts. Foreign nationals are eligible to be furloughed. So it clearly says any type of contract.  

LilElvis

I don't think anyone has said that you aren't eligible to be furloughed but that, ultimately, it is at the employer's discretion. If they don't have sufficient money to fund a furloughed base of their workers until they are reimbursed by HMRC then what do you expect them to do? 

LilElvis

I don't think anyone has said that you aren't eligible to be furloughed but that, ultimately, it is at the employer's discretion. If they don't have sufficient money to fund a furloughed base of their workers until they are reimbursed by HMRC then what do you expect them to do? 

Tabatha_Kitten

So basically agency workers are being discriminated against because agencies don't have the money to pay their employees prior to being reimbursed by the government? Really?  Is this any different to any other employer out there ?

LilElvis

Tabatha_Kitten said:

So basically agency workers are being discriminated against because agencies don't have the money to pay their employees prior to being reimbursed by the government? Really?  Is this any different to any other employer out there ?

Yes, it's different to other business sectors. Just about it's sold overhead is it's payroll on which they make a small profit. A few hundred employees on their books would require a few hundred thousand in the bank to pay them on furlough. Do you seriously think they have that money to hand with no income coming in?

Galloglass

This week is going to be the test as there will be agencies and non-agencies that don't have the cash for the next payroll run. 

Unlike the government, companies cannot just print the cash they need. In addition, behind the scenes, company owners will have personal bank guarantees in place and perhaps have their own homes under threat if their business fails. 

SXX

LilElvis said:

Tabatha_Kitten said:

So basically agency workers are being discriminated against because agencies don't have the money to pay their employees prior to being reimbursed by the government? Really?  Is this any different to any other employer out there ?

Yes, it's different to other business sectors. Just about it's sold overhead is it's payroll on which they make a small profit. A few hundred employees on their books would require a few hundred thousand in the bank to pay them on furlough. Do you seriously think they have that money to hand with no income coming in?

Agencies may have a few hundred temps on their books but only the ones on their PAYE as at 28/02 - 19.03 qualify for furlough.   I temp through several agencies but I was only on the PAYE of one agency at 28.02 so I would not expect my other agencies to furlough me as I was not working for them at the Govt cut off dates,

SXX

If agencies don't have the cash - as I keep hearing - then why isn't the REC telling the Govt that they need to find another solution for agency temps.  From the REC website it says that the REC  is in daily contact with Govt so it could have addressed that issue ages ago.   Why hasn't it?  I have seen no evidence that it has.  So the REC must clearly feel that its members - ie the agencies - can afford to furlough temps until the grant comes through.    Otherwise they could have addressed it and no one would blame them if they did.