The legal rights of temporary staff
By: Claire, redwigwam
As an employer, it's important to understand your legal obligations when hiring temporary workers.
While temporary workers may not have the same employment status as permanent employees, they are still entitled to many benefits under UK employment law.
In this blog post, we'll explore whether temporary workers are entitled to the full benefits of UK employment law, why it's important for hirers to be legal, and how using a service like redwigwam can help ensure legal compliance.
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
Temporary workers are entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) if they meet certain criteria.
To be eligible for SSP, a temporary worker must have been working for the same employer for at least two months and must earn an average of at least £120 per week.
As an employer, you're responsible for paying SSP to eligible temporary workers in the same way as you would for permanent employees.
Holiday Pay
Temporary workers are entitled to holiday pay under UK employment law.
The amount of holiday pay they're entitled to will depend on their length of service and the hours they've worked.
As an employer, you must ensure your temporary workers receive the correct amount of holiday pay and they are given the opportunity to take their holiday entitlement.
National Insurance (NI) Contributions
Temporary workers are required to pay National Insurance (NI) contributions on their earnings, just like permanent employees.
As an employer, you must deduct the appropriate NI contributions from their pay and pay Employer's NI contributions on top.
Temporary workers who earn less than the Lower Earnings Limit (LEL) for NI contributions may be exempt, but it's important to check their eligibility.
Pension Contributions
If you employ temporary workers who meet certain criteria, you'll need to enrol them in a workplace pension scheme and contribute to their pension.
The criteria for eligibility includes being aged between 22 and State Pension age, earning at least £10,000 per year, and working in the UK.
As an employer, you'll need to contribute a minimum of 3% of your employee's qualifying earnings to their pension scheme.
Why it's important for hirers to be legal
Employing temporary workers who aren't entitled to the benefits outlined above, or failing to provide those benefits to eligible temporary workers, can result in legal action and financial penalties.
It's important to be legal to protect your business from the potential legal and financial consequences of non-compliance.
How redwigwam can ensure legal compliance
Using a service like redwigwam can help ensure legal compliance when hiring temporary workers. redwigwam takes care of all aspects of employment, including legal compliance with UK employment law.
redwigwam workers are employed by redwigwam and are entitled to SSP, holiday pay, NI contributions, and pension contributions in the same way as any permanent employees.
redwigwam also provides a payroll service, ensuring all tax and NI contributions are correctly calculated and paid.
TL:DR
Temporary workers are entitled to full UK employment law benefits, including SSP, holiday pay, NI contributions, and pension contributions. It's important for hirers to be legal to avoid potential legal and financial consequences. Using a service like redwigwam can help ensure legal compliance and provide peace of mind when hiring temporary workers.
