Anyone know the thinking behind paying agencies whatever - 20 an hour rather than paying your employed driver 14 an hour? Whats the problem?
Because they can ditch agency when it suits.
The agency worker regulations was supposed to discourage taking on long-term agency on less pay by equalising pay after 12 weeks. It probably has worked a little, but as always, companies find ways around the law, such as only guaranteeing 4-6 hours and exercising the right to send home or cancel at short notice. They probably take into account things such as redundancy as well. If business were to take a dip in the future, running with a certain amount of agency means it is a simple task cutting the workforce.
That 12 week rule seemed to die a death - I imagine the tories will be working hard to dismantle all of the EU workers rights that they can.
The problem is, during a short-term “Shortage of Staff” - more and more firms are going to find themselves coughing up £20+ per hour “Ongoingly” - now that agency work actually HAS become “Ongoingly” for the first time ever… ! 
After about a year of paying through the nose, the senisble firm is going to review all the agency drivers they’ve had over the year just gone, and then pick and choose the very best of them to be offered the say, £18ph new full time contracts on better terms (4 on 4 off instead of any five from seven) 10 hour shifts expandable to 12 rather than 15, with “reduced rests” only being used in emergencies “The needs of the operation” NOT counting as an “Emergency” that seems to bloody well happen 3 times a week at present. 
Those firms that cannot or will not afford such decent contracts - will see all the good drivers poached meanwhile by the large companies including the supermarkets…
I reckon in a year’s time - we will see a MUCH reduced Transport sector, and much consolidation as the larger yards absorb and assimilate the smaller firms into their own operation.
Noremac:
The agency worker regulations was supposed to discourage taking on long-term agency on less pay by equalising pay after 12 weeks. It probably has worked a little, but as always, companies find ways around the law, such as only guaranteeing 4-6 hours and exercising the right to send home or cancel at short notice. They probably take into account things such as redundancy as well. If business were to take a dip in the future, running with a certain amount of agency means it is a simple task cutting the workforce.
…It works the other way too.
If a firm offers you a full time job @ the 12 week point that pays LESS than one was getting on agency and the driver doesn’t take the job - then that driver should expect to be got rid of under any pretence at the earliest opportunity from continuing to coin it in on agency at that same firm. Firms don’t like people that are sensible with money, and treat drivers trying to maximize their income working there as some kind of “Criminal” for acting thus.
JeffA:
Anyone know the thinking behind paying agencies whatever - 20 an hour rather than paying your employed driver 14 an hour? Whats the problem?
Agency drivers more profitable.They do more work because they know who can be sacked,banned if work show.
Andrejs:
JeffA:
Anyone know the thinking behind paying agencies whatever - 20 an hour rather than paying your employed driver 14 an hour? Whats the problem?Agency drivers more profitable.They do more work because they know who can be sacked,banned if work show.
Depends if the next guy you get from the agency is any better. If you keep sacking agency guys your truck will be stood still most of the time.
with agency drivers the company pays for a service, end of
If you add up all the costs of employing someone then the agency is the best option for the financial bods in the company. Who pays into your pension and any sick pay if you are off ill when you are on Agency (well that’s assuming companies still pay those things nowadays)
I suspect there are some logistics companies out there that don’t employ a single driver and use agencies to run their operation
JeffA:
Andrejs:
JeffA:
Anyone know the thinking behind paying agencies whatever - 20 an hour rather than paying your employed driver 14 an hour? Whats the problem?Agency drivers more profitable.They do more work because they know who can be sacked,banned if work show.
Depends if the next guy you get from the agency is any better. If you keep sacking agency guys your truck will be stood still most of the time.
How many delivers not done every day by full time staff.Oh ready 1530,to late,road closed,to heavy and more.Agency driver wi try do this because he know who can be last working day if… Some time company lost less money from truck damages.But loose much biggest money from undelivered load.Not all agency good but to many full time drivers laizy and to slow.
Directly employing a driver means a lot of extra work and commitment on behalf of the employer (employment contract, holiday pay, pension etc) which can be avoided by using an agency driver. Not least of all is that using an agency is essentially a zero hours contract type of gig, you’re needed one day, not needed the next, whereas an employed driver would need to have something profitable to be doing if the work went slack.