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Updated November 2017
Guidance on hiring Agency Workers
1. Introduction The University of Edinburgh is committed to ensuring that it delivers excellent academic, student and professional support services at all times. The University will, if necessary, use temporary agency workers to help to fulfil demands and maintain the highest standards of internal and external service. This guidance is designed to ensure compliance with current legislation on agency workers and guides Hiring Managers through the process of employing agency workers as detailed in the University policy Hiring Agency Workers Please note, all Hiring Managers should familiarise themselves with the full policy.
2. Procedure for hiring and managing Agency Workers 2.1 Managers should consider their staff resource needs carefully before
seeking to hire an agency worker, particularly for longer term assignments. If in doubt, managers should discuss their resourcing options with their local HR team.
2.2 Where it is necessary to hire an agency worker, this should be done
directly through one of the University’s preferred suppliers in discussion with their local HR team. The following agencies have an exclusive contract with the University following a competitive procurement process:
Administrative and manual staff: Pertemps are the Universities single supplier for these roles, Contact details: [email protected]
Domestic and catering staff (Accommodation services): Blue Arrow via the SUPC framework, Contact details: [email protected]
Information Services/ICT staff: Should be hired using the Procurement Scotland framework agreement for Interim IT staff. This framework contains 3 preferred suppliers that should all be contacted as part of a ‘mini competition’
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For any other types of staff, Hiring Managers must contact their local HR team. Local HR will liaise with UHRS Resourcing Team to ensure that an appropriate agency can be identified to ensure agency worker legal obligations are met.
2.3 To comply with Agency Workers Regulations 2010, Hiring Managers
should ensure they are familiar with and apply Day 1 entitlements to all agency workers (see section 5 of the Hiring Agency Workers Policy). There are also additional entitlements for agency workers after 12 weeks.
2.4 The University policy is not to engage agency workers for longer than
12 weeks. However, in some circumstances and in agreement with local HR teams assignments may be extended beyond this period or agency workers with more than 12 weeks accumulated service may be hired if it makes commercial sense to do so.
2.5 Hiring managers must ensure that they do not create a pattern of
assignments that can be viewed as designed to deliberately deprive an agency worker of their entitlements. If this is found to be the case then the University will be subject to financial penalties.
2.6 Where all or part of the cost is being charged elsewhere, the relevant
budget holder(s) must authorise the booking and costs involved before making contact with a supplier. If the School/Support Department/unit is meeting all of the cost from its own budgets then direct contact can be made with the relevant supplier, so long as authorisation and budget information have been obtained. A detailed description of ordering procedures are set out below.
3. Following the process
3.1 The UoE Agency Worker Job Catalogue The Hiring Manager will initially need to ascertain the range of duties to be undertaken by the Agency Worker (AW) and match this against the appropriate job profile set out in the UoE Agency Worker Job Catalogue. This catalogue contains a comprehensive list of AW job titles, profiles and grades which provides Hiring Managers the correct criteria for most temporary roles. There are three broad job groups: Administration, Operational and Technical. Please note that the range of jobs within these groups is limited to those most frequently used by the University.
3.2 Job profile & grades All job profiles relate to a University pay grade and the Hiring Manger should agree with local HR at which point in the pay banding the role should sit. The Hiring Manager can then see the total charge rate (per hour) by using the rate table, which is included in the job catalogue. To find the most appropriate job profile and pay rate to match the requirements:
Updated November 2017
select the relevant job title
by selecting the attached grade the full pay range (for the grade) appears
by selecting the pay rate and using the calculator, the total charge rate appears
3.3 Booking the Agency Worker To book an AW the agency will require a fully completed Agency Worker Request Form (AWRF), as well as the purchase order number for the booking to be charged to. The AWRF form includes important information such as type of work and skills required, exact location, start date and expected duration of the booking.
Please refer to the Agency Workers and Interim Staff webpage to find the Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for each supplier and to obtain details of the full booking process and AWRF.
3.4 When the Agency Worker is in place It is important that the agency worker receives adequate instruction in the duties they are to carry out, but it is equally important that the agency worker is only given tasks relevant to the job type requested. If the agency worker is found not to be suitable for the tasks as agreed with the agency then the agency should be contacted to arrange a suitable replacement. The agency may charge an additional fee if the manager has requested the wrong job type.
3.5 Review of procedures and communications All agencies (contracted and non-contracted) will supply a monthly agency worker headcount report, which will include expenditure. UHRS Resourcing Team will have regular service review meetings with agencies, to ensure expected service levels are consistently met. Prior to each meeting feedback will be sought from local HR teams. If a member of staff has any comments about procedures or wishes to discuss any issue arising from employing a temporary worker then they should contact your local HR team in the first instance.