I’ve mentioned before that companies will often hire on a temp to perm basis but I wanted to tell you about the Temporary Employment Contracts that are generally used.

I’ve been asked in the past questions about how “it worked” and to begin with I was surprised. But then it occurred to me that for anyone that is new to ‘temping’ or ‘contracting’ these are perfectly natural questions.

If you’ve only ever worked in a Permanent Job then taking either a temp to perm job or a temporary job can be a completely new experience.

I’ll try and talk you through what you could expect.

The Contract

When you first read the contract you’ve been given, it can sometimes be a bit confusing, or unnecessarily wordy, and will seem to offer very few guarantees.

The contract that you’re given WILL BE a temporary contract, so it will be worded in such a way, to show that it’s a flexible agreement for both you and the agency.

Some of the key points may be;

The Notice Period

In some contracts there may be an inferred notice period, but no guarantees will be given. It might say something like…

“Any of the Employment Business, the Agency Worker or the Hirer may terminate the Agency Worker’s Assignment at any time without prior notice or liability.”

Or

“In the event that the contract between the Employment Business and the Hirer is terminated for any reason the Assignment shall cease with immediate effect without liability to the Agency Worker (save for payment for hours worked by the Agency Worker up to the date of termination of the Assignment).”

Effectively these clauses are saying the contract can be terminated at any point without any liability, and you will be paid up until the point you left.

Guarantees of Work

There’ll be no guarantee of continued work being offered (although temps that do a good job are normally given first refusal on new contracts coming in – when you’ve finished that one of course)

How To Get Paid

To get paid you need to communicate the hours you’ve worked to the agency, normally via a timesheet signed by an authorised representative of the company.

You will also need to submit your own invoice if you’re being paid via a limited or umbrella company.

Annual Leave

This will be as per the Working Time Directive and will normally need to be taken within the leave year, and can’t be carried over.

You would need to take any time off in agreement with the company you’re working for.

What To Do In The Event of Absence

The short answer is to let the agency know as soon as possible.

Phone, Text, Email, Send a Friend, Leave a Voice Mail, Train a Pigeon to deliver messages if you have to, but tell the agency.

What To Do Next 

Once you’ve understood the contract, the best advice I can give you about determining if the job opportunity is for you is to ASK QUESTIONS.

Ask your agents advice on anything that may be an issue to you.

If you’re worried about the length of the contract, the notice period, how often you will be paid then ASK THE QUESTION.

As a final observation, if you’re concerned about the temporary nature of the job, then maybe temping isn’t for you and you should hold out for a permanent position.

That being said many Temporary Employment Contracts, have given the candidate the chance to prove themselves, ultimately resulting in an offer of a full time position.

If you have any questions or would like further advice, then feel free to leave a comment below.

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