New measures to protect vulnerable agency workers

With effect from 6 April 2008, there are new regulations to protect vulnerable agency workers. This will impact Employment agencies and employment businesses operating in the private recruitment industry. The provisions include some that specifically affect those supplying workers to the entertainment and modelling sectors. The regulations apply in England, Scotland and Wales.

If you offer or arrange to provide additional services for a charge – e.g. accommodation or transport – you will have to inform work-seekers:

• of their right to opt out of or cancel such services at any time without penalties or detriment
• that if they wish to opt out, they must give you notice of ten working days in relation to living accommodation, and five working days for all other services

If you hire out temporary workers for assignments of five working days or less, you will still have to provide written notification, but less information will be required. This will apply if you have previously supplied the essential employment details to the work-seeker and they have remained unchanged.

Entertainment and modelling sectors
You must give work-seekers in these sectors a seven-day cooling off period during which they can withdraw from any contract to include their details in a publication.

You will not be able to charge any fee to a work-seeker until seven days after they entered into the contract – i.e after the end of the cooling off period.

Complete details can be found here.