While temporary workers benefit from many employment rights, they usually have different working rights from ordinary employees. If you are a temp it's important to know your rights and the rules about the way agencies should treat you.

The sector is growing all the time. 1.2 million temporary workers go out on an assignment in the UK in a typical week, according to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, the professional body representing the recruitment industry in the UK.

If you are a foreign national - a person from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) - working while you're in the UK, you'll be required to hold a UK identity card as part of the National Identity Scheme (NIS) from 25 November 2008. Find out more from the UK Border Agency website.

What is a temporary worker?

Temporary workers work through an agency which finds them jobs. The firm that's hiring the worker pays a fee to the agency, and the agency pays the worker's wages.

There are several advantages to being a temp, including being able to work more flexibly and getting the opportunity to try out different kinds of work in a relatively short period of time. However, temps usually enjoy less job security than workers on permanent contracts.

As a temp, you are covered by the national minimum wage, working time legislation, health and safety and some social security provisions.

People coming to work in UK temporarily need to check whether they need a work permit and/or a visa or a UK identity card. Workers from EU countries have more rights to live and work in the UK than those from elsewhere. You can check this on the UK Border Agency website

For details of agency standards and your rights go to the DirectGov and Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), websites

The Trades Union Congress is campaigning for better rights for temporary and casual staff.

Finding an employment agency

You can easily search for a temp job online these days. To link to one of the many agencies offering these services look at our Employment Agencies section.