Employers not prepared for Agency Workers Regulations

The vast majority of UK employers remain unprepared for the new Agency Workers Regulations (AWR).

According to new research from recruitment firm Randstad, just seven per cent of employers across the country have carried out an assessment detailing how they will be affected by AWR.

Randstad's 'Shifting Sands' report revealed that 37% of firms surveyed also admitted that they were entirely unfamiliar with AWR. For those that were aware, they still needed clarification on issues such as pay and bonuses and how to comply with the regulations.

AWR will come into effect on 1 October 2011, and will ensure that agency workers must receive the same basic conditions as their permanent counterparts. Whilst some rights, such as identical access to new vacancies, will apply immediately, other rights will not apply until the agency workers has been on the job for 12 weeks.

Head of Randstad UK Brian Wilkinson, said, "With the implementation of the AWR just a few months away, it is a concern that such a high proportion of organisations are so unprepared.

"We urge all users of agency workers to conduct a thorough assessment of their human capital resources and the impact of the Regulations. Doing this properly will enable organisations to optimise the structure and efficiency of their workforces," he added.

The UK has the highest proportion of agency workers in Europe - making up 4% of the workforce, and AWR looks set to affect at least half of them.