IDS Study 689, May 2000

Temporary workers

• Considers why companies hire temporary workers, examines how they are recruited and trained and looks at their terms and conditions.
• Also includes national statistics on the prevalence and nature of temporary work, a summary of key employment rights and an assessment of the likely impact on the UK of the EU Directive on fixed-term work.
• Provides details of the employment of temporary workers in 23 organisations, including two case studies.

There are some 1.7 million temporary workers in the UK who make up about seven per cent of the workforce. This Study provides a comprehensive review of the role that directly-employed (as opposed to agency-employed) temporary workers fulfil in UK organisations and discusses the attractions and potential downside of temporary work for both businesses and employees. It also looks at why companies hire temporary workers, how they are recruited and trained and how their terms and conditions compare to those of their permanent counterparts. The Study summarises the arrangements for temporaries in 21 organisations and also includes two detailed case studies.

In addition, the Study reviews the latest official statistics on temporary work outlining the kind of jobs temporaries perform, the sectors in which they work and which groups of people are likely to find temporary work most suitable.

A further section outlines the legal position of temporary workers and assesses the implications of the 1998 Working Time Regulations for companies employing temporary workers, such as the right to accrue paid holiday. It also looks at the possible impact of the EU Directive on fixed-term work, which has to be implemented by member states by July 2001.