Importance of agency workers to food and drink manufacturing
19 September 2013
Importance of agency workers to food and drink manufacturing
FDF statement
Maintaining flexibility within the workforce is hugely important for food and drink businesses which often have to respond quickly to unpredictable requirements such as short-term peaks in demand. A recent FDF survey shows that just over 40% of all companies use agency workers to provide short-term sickness or holiday cover for permanent employees and to bolster their workforce during seasonal production peaks.
Since the introduction of the Agency Workers Regulations, many food and drink manufacturers have developed constructive working relationships with agencies to manage their use of agency workers and to ensure their compliance with the Regulations. Many companies have also made use of the so-called “Swedish derogation”, a legitimate opt out which was agreed after industry consultation that provides important flexibility for businesses.
Agency work can also be a useful route into permanent employment for many people and our survey shows that nearly half of food and drink manufacturers use agency workers as a means of recruiting permanent employees and therefore helping to expand their workforce.
Our member survey also shows that zero hours contracts are not widely used in food and drink manufacturing and that their use has been largely unchanged since the introduction of the Agency Workers Regulations.
Key findings from the FDF's research into agency workers:
- Agency workers are mainly used to provide short term sickness/holiday cover and to meet seasonal production peaks.
- Just over 40% of all companies use agency workers as an integral part of their business model for their manpower requirements.
- Nearly half of all companies use agency workers as a means of recruiting permanent employees – this is a positive.
- Nearly three-quarters of companies have not changed the number of agency workers that they use but the small number that have made changes have generally reduced their use of agency workers.
- Most companies have introduced a range of controls for managing their relationship with agencies and the number of agency workers that are used.
More information
For all media enquiries, phone FDF's press office on 020 7420 7140 / 7118 or send an email to: pressoffice@fdf.org.uk.
For FDF's policy positions and background on key issues, go to our Policy section.
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