Continuous service when going temporary to permanent

Harold_Wren

I worked for my current company through a recruitment agency for a number of years as a temporary employee (not a contractor) and then changed to a permanent role with the company a few years ago without a break in service.

I was offered voluntary redundancy earlier in the year and was told at the time only my years as a permanent employee would count, it looks possible I could be made redundant so I was wanting to double check this. I've been looking online but it doesn't seem clearcut with a number of sites more aimed at HR advising that employees going from temporary to permanent should have a distinctive break in between.

I'm assuming in my case because I was temporary with a recruitment agency itself and not the actual company that the temporary time doesn't count but I'd appreciate any advice.

El_Torro

As I understand it since you were a temp working for an agency the time you spent as a temp does not count as part of your service. I don’t think that whether there was a break or not in between being a temp and being permanent is relevant. The relevant thing is that you were employed by an agency, not by your current company on a fixed term contract.

FlorayG

I started my 13 year job as a temp but the temp contract was with the company who eventually made my position permanent so in effect I was working for them the whole time.

If you were being paid by the agency then legally you were working for the agency sorry to say