When I first tried out Agency, I ended up with Blue Arrow who charged me £27 for a payslip which they assured me would leave me better off. I was £27 per week worse off of course, and most of the time - I was only getting one or two shifts per week to boot, meaning that £27 deduction was something like nearly 20% of my wages… Time spent here 6 months.
Then I moved to Extrastaff who paid me gross with no deductions at all - but the taxman caught up with me, and I ended up paying WI taxes with no rebates. Time spent here 1 year.
I then settled for SMS Drive Force, an agency outlet for Mainstream-booked drivers. These mucked me about little, and the hourly rate could have been higher than it was - but the work was regular. I stayed there for 4 years, so it couldn’t have been that bad.
I tried Manpower, but they seemed unreliable in the end with no work other than their main client. Good whilst it lasted, but not reliable enough for a full time wage needed each and every week. Time spent there - <six months.
I am now at Staffline, whom I’ve not had any problems with, other than turnover of the actual agency staff leading to a few missed messages here and there. I don’t blame them for that though.
The main “lie” I got from those agencies I was with at first was that there was “always loads of work, ongoingly” which often turned into “The work has dried up at our higher-paying clients straight away, because your pecking order is too low, BUT we’ll always have some NMW shifts for you at some skinflint outfit - which we’ll give you 50-60 hours per week at, if you’re mug enough not to realize what a con that represents…”
The main tips I’d give to those wanting to avoid the pitfalls of agencies are:
(1) Tell them what your minimum working rate is - and STICK to it. This means turning down shifts that are outside your comfort zone pay-wise.
(2) Insist on PAYE so you don’t end up paying their stamp for them.
(3) Refuse to join any umbrella/salary sacrifice scheme, although by this point - that should be obvious from all the horror stories one reads on this very site on this issue.
(4) Insist on 24 hours notice for a shift unless it is at a premium rate of pay. You should have a life outside of work - so stick to it!
(5) Don’t take assignments over 45 minutes commute away from where you live. That range extends at night of course, because there’s less traffic congestion…
(6) Switch your phone off whilst travelling into work. It is the agency’s job to cancel you before you set off, and many agencies have a policy of a minimum set of paid hours - should you be cancelled by the client upon arrival at the workplace.
(7) Get your assignments via email rather than by phone text (Both is OK, but never accept “text only”) A stand-in member of staff - is more likely to have access to your email address for updates to your starting time - than access to your mobile number to send you a text asking you to come in later/earlier. Also, insist on not letting the agency move your start time by more than 2 hours either way. There’s nothing worse than about to leave for work @ noon for a 13:00 start, only to be put back to 21:00 meaning your now going to turn up for work “jet-lagged” which is not safe!
(8) Always try to have at least one face-to-face meeting with agency admin staff per week, even if it is just when you hand your timesheets in.
(9) Everyone and his dog wants the proverbial “9-5 monday-friday shifts”. If you make yourself available for the more awkward start times - then guess what? - You’ll get more regular work, and more OF it.
Full time job? - I took a job at Brakes after being put in there three years on agency, and it was for the same money, but with guaranteed regular hours. I wouldn’t want to do the same now though, as it would involve a paycut, and being obliged to work some shifts that don’t agree with me at all, such as Monday-Friday am starts… I’m quite happy where I am, choosing the hours and days I want to work then. It will probably be some time before a job comes along offering me full time at something better. Since the start of this year, the fewest shifts I’ve had in a week is three, and the most is five. I’ve had one effective unplanned “Night out” because of a breakdown which I got paid for. No Complaints! My main problem at present is how to keep my earnings down so I don’t keep breaking into 45% tax as I was temporarily doing whilst working two jobs over Christmas at the premium rates… The worst thing that could happen to me government-upheaval wise isn’t “Brexit” or lack thereof… It is the Labour talk of “abolishing Zero Hours Contracts” which puts agency people like me in the position of “accept a full time job for lower pay, or no full time job at ALL”. No thanks Labour!
Those people who have had the worst experiences of agency work - will likely be those first starting out, and later just those who are not really flexible enough to get on with agency.
Be available Nights and Weekends - and it is plain sailing however. Works for me!