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The report is a clear counter-attack on supporters, including the trade unions and some other EU countries, of the Agency Workers' Directive which aimed to provide better employment rights for agency workers.
The Directive - which has been temporarily shelved on several occasions - caused concern among the freelancer community that they might be caught up in its powers, giving them rights and protection which neither they nor their clients wanted.
Positive reasons
Independent research from the REC has found that over half (52 per cent) of all temporary workers choose temping for positive reasons such as increased flexibility, better pay or to gain valuable work experience.
The research also shows there are almost four times more agency workers who are satisfied overall with temporary work than there are workers who are dissatisfied.
REC claims that the profile of today’s agency worker is not low-skilled and low paid contrary to the stereotype. More than half (56 per cent) are qualified to A-level or above with nearly a third (32 per cent) holding a degree or postgraduate qualification.
As well as increasingly being seen a viable longer-term career option, temping continues to provide a crucial steeping stone, with one in five (20 per cent) using temporary work as a route into permanent job.
Flexibility
Commenting on the findings of the survey, Gareth Osborne, Managing Director, REC said: "Attitudes to work have changed, with variety and flexibility increasingly being the key indicators of job satisfaction.
"Traditional notions of job security are also being challenged, with individuals taking more responsibility for developing their own skills, experience and contacts. At the same time, temps receive key benefits such as sick and holiday pay and this is making temping and contract work more attractive."
There are around 28.73 million people currently employed in the UK and 1.3 million of them are registered with employment agencies.
Mr Osbourne said: "Temping still provides a short-term solution and a way back into the labour market for many, but the research shows that the UK now has a diverse mix of temporary workers. This includes long-term or career temps, ‘flexi-temps’ who enjoy the work life balance, ‘extra income temps’, ‘student temps’ and ‘stepping-stone’ temps who are re-entering the workplace or in the process of finding permanent work".
Key findings
Key findings from the research included:
- Four times more agency workers are satisfied with temporary work than dissatisfied.
- Only one in seven agency workers is dissatisfied to any degree.
- Satisfaction among agency workers is highest in respect to working relations (71%) and convenience of traveling to work (69 per cent)
- Over 50 per cent of agency workers feel they receive at least the same pay as permanent workers. A substantial number (24 per cent) believe that they actually get paid more than permanent employees.
- Over half of all respondents (56 per cent) have either achieved NVQ Level 3 or equivalent, or a higher level qualification. In addition, 39 per cent of agency workers were offered training during their assignment which challenges current stereotypes about temps lacking training & development opportunities.
These externally validated results complement the findings of previous REC research based on the feedback of over 2,400 temporary workers. This poll had shown that three quarters of temporary workers (77 per cent) feel at least as valued as permanent employees with 90 per cent mentioning the opportunity to balance work and personal life as one of the main benefits of temping. Eighty-one per cent of temporary workers felt that temping provided security, through having work available when needed.
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Susie Hughes © Shout99.com 2005
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