to think this company is trying to get round agency worker regulations and WWYD

[miffedatthis]

I've been an agency worker at a company for 11 weeks. I've done a good job and they seem to have been pleased. So pleased that last week they asked me to do 4 more weeks there.

I then get a phone call last week saying "someone had overheard me in a conversation in the canteen and complained to the management about it". The agency did not tell me what the alleged conversation was and deactivated my status. I rang up on Friday and they assured me they would try to talk to management. Did not hear anything.

For those who aren't aware, AWR regulations allow for some agency worker rights to kick in after 12 weeks incuding equal pay. I have this sneaking suspicion that this is the reason as I have no idea what conversation they are talking about.

What do I do? Should I contact the company and try to speak to the management to clarify what's going on and what's supposed to have happened? Do I trust the agency? Or do I start proceedings under the AWR regulations? I don't want to rock any boats as the agency have been good at getting work but I do feel like I'm being treated unfairly.

WWYD?

So have they decided to not offer you more work or just not tick a box?

They were perfectly happy to have me next week. Then this alleged incident happened and they didn't want me. Despite doing a good job for 11 weeks, the person who I'm covering is still off and no one has asked me about what is supposed to have happened.

It would have meant them paying me more money from next week.

sounds very suspicious. I'd try to speak to the company first to find out what on earth they claim has been going on. Thing is, you are caught given you don't want the agency to drop you for causing trouble with a client...

Hi OP. you said you're an agency worker. Does that mean you have a contract with an agency and they send you in to work at various companies with whom they have a contract?

If yes, you need to look first at your contract with agency and look at whether they have the right under that contract to terminate that particular assignment and on what notice and grounds. If your contract is with the agency and not the end user company then you need to be dealing with the agency. The company's management will probably not want to get involved as you are not their employee(assuming the above).

If it were me I'd be wanting to get to the bottom of the reason for the termination of the assignment. If the agency didn't have grounds to terminate it on immediate notice then they may have breached their contract. They should be helping you get a new assignment though, minimizing any losses you might suffer from having an 11 week assignment rather than a 12 week assignment.