Agency Worker Rights Guide
Understand your legal entitlements under the UK Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) 2010. Check your Day 1 rights, 12-week qualifying status, and equal pay eligibility.
Check Your Current Rights
Use this quick checker to understand which rights apply to your current assignment based on how long you have worked in the same role with the same end-hirer.
Assignment Details
Tell us about your current work situation
Your Entitlements
Based on your current assignment status
Day 1 vs. 12 Weeks Rights Comparison
A clear breakdown of the rights agency workers are legally entitled to at different stages of their assignment under UK law.
| Right / Entitlement | Day 1 | After 12 Weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Access to collective facilities (e.g., canteen, prayer room) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Information on internal job vacancies | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Equal basic pay and bonuses (comparable to permanent staff) | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Same working hours and rest breaks | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Equal annual leave entitlement | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Protection against unfair dismissal | Varies (Generally requires 2 years continuous employment with the agency, not the hirer) | |
Agency Worker Rights FAQ
Everything you need to know about navigating your rights as a temporary or agency worker in the UK.
From the first day of an assignment, agency workers have the right to access the same collective facilities and amenities as permanent employees (e.g., canteen, childcare facilities, transport services). They also have the right to be informed of any internal job vacancies at the hirer’s organisation.
After completing a continuous 12-week qualifying period in the same role with the same hirer, agency workers are entitled to the same basic working and employment conditions as if they had been recruited directly. This includes equal pay, same working hours, rest breaks, and annual leave entitlements.
Not always. Certain breaks are ‘permissible’ and will pause or preserve the clock, such as sickness (up to 28 weeks), pregnancy/maternity, annual leave, or public holidays. However, a break of more than 6 weeks between assignments, or returning to a completely different role, will typically reset the 12-week qualifying period to zero.
Agency workers may be entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) if they meet the earnings threshold, regardless of the 12-week rule. Auto-enrolment into a workplace pension depends on age and earnings, and the agency is usually the employer responsible for this, not the end hirer.