News: Performance Management
New agency worker rules necessitate management training
21 May 2008
Managers in British businesses will soon need to revise their training on employee rights, after the government finally agreed changes to protections for temporary workers.
Following protracted negotiations with industry bodies and unions, it has been confirmed that temporary and agency workers will receive the same employment rights as permanent staff after just 12 weeks with an employer.
It is anticipated that as many as 1.4 million temporary workers in the UK could be affected by the changes.
Nevertheless, this position could just be an interim step on the way to giving temps equal rights after just six weeks, if the long-delayed European Union agency workers directive is agreed.
Many business organisations have hit out at the new rights, warning that they increase labour market rigidity.
Martin Temple, chairman of the Engineering Employers Federation, said: "At a time when business needs all the tools at its disposal to work flexibly and be quick on its feet, it is very unhelpful to add further constraints on the use of agency workers."
