Hiring temp labour: employer checklist

Temporary labour is quick to arrange and, done properly, low-risk. Done badly, it exposes you to right-to-work fines, Agency Workers Regulations claims, uninsured injuries and HMRC problems. This is the list we work through before any worker starts, and the questions you should ask any supplier.

1. Right to work

The supplying agency must check and record every worker's right to work in the UK before the first day, using the Home Office online check or original documents. Ask to see confirmation. Fines for employing someone without the right to work start at £45,000 per worker for a first breach, and both the agency and the site can be liable.

2. Cards and tickets

CSCS for trades and labour, CPCS or NPORS for plant, CISRS for scaffolders, ECS for electricians, IPAF and PASMA for access. The card should be verified against the scheme (CSCS Smart Check, CPCS card checker), not just photographed at the gate. A valid-looking card is easy to fake; a verified one isn't.

3. Agency Workers Regulations (AWR)

From day one, agency workers are entitled to the same access to facilities (canteen, parking, transport) as your direct staff. After 12 weeks in the same role, they're entitled to the same basic pay, holiday and working hours as an equivalent direct employee. The agency handles the pay side, but you need to tell them your comparable rates, and the 12-week clock is your responsibility to watch.

4. Insurance

Confirm the agency holds employer's liability (minimum £5m, £10m is standard) and public liability cover, and ask for the certificate. Your own site insurance should cover agency workers as labour-only subcontractors; check the wording. Plant operators supplied without the plant should be covered by the plant owner's insurance for the machine.

5. Role definition

Write down what the worker will do, what they need to bring (tools, PPE, tickets), the hours, the rate and the expected duration. Vague requirements get vague workers. "Labourer" and "labourer to assist bricklayers with mixing and loading, 7.30–4.30, 6 weeks" get very different results.

6. Terms, rates and SLAs

Before anyone starts, agree in writing: the charge rate and what it includes, overtime and weekend uplifts, notice periods both ways, the replacement policy if a worker doesn't work out, temp-to-perm fees if you later hire them directly, and invoicing terms. Read the temp-to-perm clause carefully; it is where the surprises live.

7. Site induction and training

Every agency worker gets the same site induction as anyone else, on day one, before they start work. Site-specific risks, emergency procedures, welfare, permits. Keep the signed induction record. If the role needs specific training (confined spaces, asbestos awareness, abrasive wheels), confirm who provides it and see the certificate.

8. Onboarding and PPE

Agree who supplies PPE. Standard practice: the worker brings boots, hi-vis and hard hat; the site provides task-specific PPE (harnesses, RPE, gloves for a particular substance). Make sure someone on site is expecting them and knows where they're working.

9. Payroll and tax

The agency pays the worker, PAYE or CIS. If CIS, the agency verifies the worker's CIS status with HMRC and deducts at the right rate. If umbrella companies are involved, ask which one and check it's accredited (FCSA or Professional Passport); non-compliant umbrellas are an HMRC target and liability can flow up the chain.

10. Performance and offboarding

Check in at the end of day one and week one. Tell the agency early if there's a problem; a good supplier replaces a poor fit the same day. At the end of the assignment, confirm the finish date in writing so the clock stops on invoicing and AWR.

Quick checklist

• Right-to-work confirmation received
• Cards verified against the scheme
• AWR comparable rates provided; 12-week date diarised
• Agency insurance certificates on file
• Written role, hours, rate, duration
• Terms agreed, including temp-to-perm and notice
• Site induction completed and signed
• PPE responsibilities agreed
• PAYE/CIS/umbrella status confirmed
• Day-one and week-one check-ins booked