So to bring you up to speed.
8 weeks ago, I had somewhat of a health scare, dropped into a state of panic, lost the temp job I had been working in due to taking time off.
Since then, I have been perusing the web, built up a healthy music collection, and have watched every film I could lay my hands on.
Motivation to find a new job has been slow coming. The reason for this being, recruitment agencies! Dealing with these organisations is a full time job in itself, after investing a great deal of time and money registering with them, attending their registration interview, you find out they don't actually have any suitable vacancies.
I'm a little bemused as to why these organisations are actually used to recruit full time staff in the first place. There is no apparent need for them. Most companies using them have their own HR departments, interview prospective candidates and ultimately make the decision of whom to employ anyway.
In fact by using these agencies, they may be missing out on the best person for the job. Due to agencies over selectiveness and lack of knowledge of the business they represent, wouldn't the business be best placed to review all applicants, not the shortlist vetted by the agency? It seems a huge waste of money.
When it comes to supplying temporary staff, obviously there is a need for an agency, however, they are no better at this. I feel there should be much tighter governance on how they do business. Recruitment agencies seem only to have their business client’s interests at heart. They seem to have no concern over any problems they cause you, have no realisation of the implications when/if (although more often when) they make mistakes.
This brings me back to the point. When I lost my last job, I had been off sick for around a week, and received a call advising me that I would not be required to go back. Although annoyed, as a temp I could appreciate their situation. I updated my CV, re registered with various agencies, and signed on for unemployment benefit just in case nothing came up. A week later I received a P45 in the post, but no final Wage slip for the last week I had worked. I called them to explain, and was advised that they had not received a signed time sheet. This is correct, as I had been away ill, and asked not to return. I emailed a list of hours over, and explained the importance of being paid promptly, as I would not receive any benefits for 2 weeks, and required the funds to live on, having been off work for a week already, this would equate to 4 weeks with no money coming in.
I was advised that they would have to get these hours signed off by my line manager. A week passed and I had heard nothing and still had not received any payment. I called to chase the matter up, and was told that they were still awaiting approval of the hours worked. Accepting that that they would need to be validated, I asked them to chase this up, and reiterated the importance of this matter. A few days later, I contacted them again, and left a message to call back. No one returned my call. I emailed requesting information the following day, and no one replied. The following week, I called and spoke to the consultant, who said she believed my line manager had been away and was due back today, and would chase the matter up. A few days later I called, and still no response.
At this point I decided enough was enough. I invoiced the agency direct enclosed with a strongly written email. I received a reply stating they didn't appreciate the tone of my email. What did they expect? Could they not understand that I needed that money? After another couple of days I contacted them threatening legal action on the matter, and at this point was told that the Hours had now been authorised, and would be paid, however it had missed their payment run, and would be put on the next weeks run. Finally I received the payment 7 weeks after it was due. Why did it take so much effort to get them to pay?
On another occasion, I had been working though an agency for an organisation for 2 weeks, when I received a call requesting a copy of my passport. I explained to them, that they had already taken a copy of this, and that I no longer had a passport as it had been damaged. I offered them a copy of my full birth certificate in place. They advised me that they were unable to accept this, and that if I could not provide them with my passport they would have to terminate my employment. They advised that this policy was in accordance with the DTI. After Calling the DTI, and an organisation that advises recruitment consultancies, I found this not to be the case and called them back. After an hour of arguing with them, and speaking directly with the managing director, they agreed that it was there error. But had I not been so insistent and checked up on these matters, I would have been made unemployed.
My Questions to you are,
Should recruitment companies be governed by an external body to ensure the fair treatment of the staff they recruit, and that their practices are scrutinised to ensure they are ethical and fair?
Should Unions do more to get involved with temporary workers, or offer a service, advise on these matters?
Please let me know your views, and I would like to hear of anyone else’s cases, as I would like to see the scale of these problems, and possibly put a case forward to the minister for work and pensions.
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