Every business has peak times and quieter times. This isn’t a reflection on success, but the result of several factors, including industry, sector, demand, price and more.
For instance, if you manage a production company for luxury goods and Black Friday is approaching, it’s time to get extra help to fill the demand.
But what are the rules when it comes to temporary employees? And how can a Workforce Management System ensure you stay compliant?
What is a temporary employee?
Any employee hired on a fixed-term contract either with an end date or upon completion of a specific project is a temporary employee.
Agency workers, students on a work experience placement or apprentices, do not fall into this category.
What rights do they have?
Temp staff have the same working rights and benefits as your permanent staff in comparable roles. This means the same hours and benefits as everyone else.
Your temporary employee will accrue holiday on a pro-rata basis during their first year of employment. After four years, a fixed-term contract may automatically become a permanent one unless you can justify a reason for renewing the fixed term.
Temporary employees are also entitled to notice of:
- One week if they’ve worked for at least one month
- One week for each year they’ve worked
How can a workforce management system help?
Scheduling
The main reason for taking on temporary workers is to fill the demand. Thanks to the WFM Rota functionality, you can easily slot temp workers into your existing rota to fill any gaps.
If someone is absent or sick, you can quickly see who is available from the temp list and schedule them in.
Employees can receive their rota, and any updates to the hours, via email.
Payment / overtime
Taking on new workers means more paperwork and more payroll. With a WFM system, payroll data is automatically filled every time the employee clocks in and out.
This clocking data is then used to complete the employee’s timesheet, which is then exported to a payroll bureau for payment in just a few clicks.
Any overtime rules or roundings and grace will also be applied via the software, meaning you know your temporary staff member is being paid correctly from day one.
Holiday
The WFM Holiday management functionality delivers transparency for all employees, no matter what contract they’re on, as they can instantly see how much holiday they have and have already used.
For managers, the WFM holiday system also enables you to clearly see who is in or out, so you can make the right decision when absence requests are sent.
Contracts
Temporary contracts are essential, as they outline precisely what is expected of the employee – especially if it’s fixed-term employment until a project comes to an end.
Ensuring you have this information secure, along with any personal details to contact the staff member is vital. The WFM HR Management tool takes care of this by efficiently storing data under the employees’ digital file, so the information you need is only ever a few clicks away.
For more information on WFM and how a workforce management system can help you, click here.
