Family responsibilities made easier

New provisions came into force from 1 April 2007 giving families a helping hand to balance their work and caring responsibilities as part of the new Work and Families Act 2006.   Giving more flexibility to mothers, fathers and carers, the new provisions not only appease employees, but can also be beneficial for the employer too.

The new legislation involves:

•·         The extension of maternity and adoption pay from six to nine months.

•·         An extended right for carers of disabled adults to request flexible working.

•·         Giving employed fathers up to 26 weeks additional paternity leave (due to come into force by the end of Parliament).

•·         Helping employers and employees benefit from improved communication during maternity leave.

•·         Introducing measures to help employers manage the administration of leave and pay, helping them plan ahead with greater certainty.

When opting to be an agency worker, over an employee, certain aspects must be considered which could make you exempt from the above legislation.  Typically, if you are an agency worker the above rules will not apply to you as you are not ‘employed' by either the agency or the client.  An agency contract is not a contract of employment, which means that you are not entitled to certain employment rights and benefits that are available to employees. 

With the above in mind, some recruitment agencies are different, and do offer contracts of employment making you an employee of the agency.  It is wise to do your research and find out exactly what you are entitled to if and when you decide to work with an agency.

There are many advantages of being a temporary worker and these should not be overshadowed by the small print.  As long as you do your research into how the agency works, you should have no problems at all.