From day one
- At least the minimum wage, paid holiday and rest breaks
- Access to the hirer's shared facilities, such as the canteen, toilets and car park
- Information about job vacancies at the hirer
After 12 weeks
After 12 continuous calendar weeks in the same role with the same hirer, you're entitled to the same basic pay and conditions as if you'd been recruited directly: pay, overtime and shift rates, holiday, working hours and rest breaks.
What breaks the 12 weeks
A gap of more than 6 weeks, or starting a substantively different role, resets the count. Some breaks, such as holiday or sickness, pause it instead. Note your start date and each assignment.
Who pays you
Your agency, or an umbrella company it uses, pays you, not the hirer. Pay problems go to them first.
A worked example
An agency picker is paid £12.71 an hour. The warehouse's own pickers get £13.40 plus a £1.50 night premium. From week 13, the agency worker should get the same: on a 40-hour week of nights, that's £596.00 instead of £508.40, a difference of £87.60 a week.
Track your 12 weeks
- Your first day with the hirer
- Each week you worked, even if only one shift (any part of a week counts as a week)
- Any gap, and the reason for it, such as holiday, sickness or no work offered
- Any change of role
Agency fees
Agencies can't charge you a fee for finding you work. They can charge for some optional extras, like transport, but you must be able to say no without losing the job.
Keep your own record
Paste the rota message you were sent and Shiftaan fills in the shift for you. Give it a go.
Common questions
When do agency workers get equal pay?
After 12 continuous calendar weeks in the same role with the same hirer.
Does one shift in a week count towards the 12 weeks?
Yes. Any week in which you work at least part of a day for the same hirer in the same role counts as a week.