Glossary · UK
What is Agency Workers Regulations?
UK rules giving temporary agency workers equal basic working conditions to permanent staff after 12 weeks in the same role.
Full Definition
The Agency Workers Regulations 2010 (AWR) protect people supplied to a hirer through an employment agency or business. From day one, agency workers are entitled to access on-site facilities (such as canteens and parking) and to be informed of permanent vacancies. After a 12-week qualifying period in the same role with the same hirer, they gain the right to equal treatment on basic working and employment conditions -- including pay, working time, rest breaks, and annual leave -- comparable to a directly recruited employee doing the same job. Breaks of six weeks or more, or a substantially different role, can reset the clock. The rules matter because they prevent agency labour being used to undercut staff, and they affect how take-home pay and holiday are calculated for temps. Enforcement is through an employment tribunal. Umbrella-company and 'pay between assignments' arrangements interact with these rules, so workers should check pay slips carefully.