From Saturday (December 24), equal treatment provisions for some of the UK’s temporary and contract workforce will be in full swing. Recruiters have investing significant resources in implementing the new regulations and are now preparing to deal with any queries from workers.

Saturday sees the end of the first 12 weeks qualifying period since the Agency Work Regulations (AWR) went live.

Commenting on this AWR milestone, Tom Hadley, the REC’s Director of Policy & Professional Services says:

“Nothing cataclysmic is going to happen on December 24th. However the date is a significant landmark and will act as a further prompt for recruiters to ensure that they are as prepared as possible to handle any queries or claims from workers.

“One priority is to have good internal mechanisms in place so that any misunderstandings about entitlements under the new regulations can be nipped in the bud. Although we are unlikely to see a huge surge of activity, we are concerned that some employers have so far been unwilling to share information with their recruitment partners. Ultimately, the best way of avoiding any tribunals will be to be to ensure that there are clear and transparent communication channels between agencies, candidates and employers.

“Looking ahead, our analysis is that the overall number of tribunals generated through the AWR will be limited. This is a view shared by other organsisations such as ACAS. On a general note, the overall demand for agency staff has remained strong despite the new regulations coming into force and we will continue to monitor the impact as we move past the December 24th milestone.”