Temping FAQs
Start of Contract
What will I receive from Sue Hill Recruitment (SHR) prior to the commencement of my assignment?
Your Assignment Details Form, giving information about the client, start date, location and hours of work and pay rates.
Our Terms of Engagement
Request for information including your bank details and P45
Login details to our eTimesheet web portal
Pay & Tax
I have not received a P45 from my previous employer, what shall I do?
We will have sent you a Starter’s Checklist (previously known as a P46) with your contract. Fill it in, send it back to us and we can use it until your P45 arrives. Failure to do this means you might pay too much tax.
I have not worked in the UK before, what do I do about tax?
You must complete a Starter’s Checklist (previously known as a P46), which we provide with your contract. You will need a National Insurance number.
I don’t have a National Insurance (NI) Number, how do I get one?
You can only apply for a National Insurance number once you have arrived in the UK, and if you have the right to work in the UK. You will need to call Jobcentre Plus on 0845 600 0643 to arrange to get an NI number.
If necessary, we can supply a letter addressed to them confirming that you have found work or confirming that you are registered with us to find temporary work.
I don’t have a Bank Account, what can I do?
Call us and we can provide you with a letter to one of the leading retail banks stating that you have some employment which may help in opening an account.
Pay Frequency
How often do I get paid?
Weekly, provided that your eTimesheet is received by 12 Noon on Tuesday of the week following the week you worked. Pay will be transferred into your account by BACS payment each Friday.
eTimesheet Completion
How can I complete my eTimesheet?
Our E-Timesheet online portal will allow you to securely enter your weekly hours online.
We provide you with log in details and a simple user guide to our new e-timesheet web portal, details of which can be found here.
This streamlined process is automated from start to finish and will give you online access anywhere and at any time. You’ll receive email reminders to prompt eTimesheet completion and your line manager will get reminders to authorise your eTimesheets.
Online timesheets will be entered and authorised securely.
When do I need to complete my eTimesheet?
ETimesheets must be completed and authorised online by 12 Noon on the Tuesday following the week in which the work was done.
What do I do if my manager is away and I need my eTimesheet authorised?
We can only accept eTimesheets that are authorised by an approved person. If your main authoriser is going to be away and unable to authorise your eTimesheet please ask them before they go who should authorise your eTimesheet in their absence and whether or not they are set up on our portal. If they are not set up on the portal please contact us at payroll@suehill.com so we can do this.
I didn’t submit my eTimesheet on time, and I haven’t been paid. What can I do?
If we didn’t receive your approved eTimesheet, you won’t get paid. In exceptional circumstances if you send us the late eTimesheet, we may advance you a percentage of your pay. It will be in your bank account in three working days.
Agency Workers Regulations (AWR)
Further guidance on the AWR can be found here.
How do the Agency Workers Regulations affect me?
The Agency Workers Regulations 2010 (“AWR”) give agency workers the same right to equal treatment as permanent staff. This means that when you are taken on by Sue Hill Recruitment and supplied to work for one of our clients (“the hirer”) as a Temporary Worker on a contract for services, you will be entitled to equal treatment in respect of basic working and employment conditions relating to pay, working hours and annual leave, once you have completed a 12 week qualifying period. From the first day of your assignment you will also be entitled to access collective facilities provided by the hirer to its own workers and to be advised by the hirer of relevant vacancies which arise within the hirer’s business.
Although you need to work for the same hirer for 12 weeks before you have the right to equal treatment, the qualifying period does not necessarily have to be 12 consecutive calendar weeks. Various breaks are allowed in the qualifying time that either pause or stop the qualifying clock and it does not matter if you have been supplied to the same hirer by more than one agency within certain time limits. Therefore, when you are offered an assignment, we will check with both you and the hirer whether you have worked for them or any other hirer in their group before, so that we can accurately calculate your qualifying period.
We monitor your weeks worked towards the qualifying period using specialist software and will notify you when the qualifying period is reached with a clear explanation of any changes to pay or conditions.
Holidays & Holiday Pay
What is my paid holiday entitlement?
You are entitled to 28 days’ paid holiday pro-rata each year (including 8 days for the bank holidays). You accrue this holiday as you work and will be paid to you on request when you take time off from work. It must be taken within your holiday year, which runs for 12 months from the start date of your contract. On completion of a 12 week qualifying period (see Agency Workers Regulations) you will also receive any additional holiday entitlement that the hirer provides to direct recruits. The additional holiday entitlement will be paid to you weekly as a top up to your basic pay.
I want to book time off for holiday, who do I ask?
You need to make the request to your line manager. We suggest that you give notice that is twice as long as your holiday period (e.g. if you want 5 days off you need to give 10 days’ notice). Please then notify SHR that you would like to take either paid or unpaid annual leave. Once this has been approved please leave the day(s) blank on your eTimesheet, there is no need to input zeros.
How do I get paid for my paid holiday entitlement?
Please email payroll@suehill.com to let them know you would like to take paid holiday – include the dates and hours for which you would like to be paid. You also need to request paid holiday for Bank Holidays. Please leave the day(s) blank on your eTimesheet.
How do I know how much holiday I have accrued?
Your accrued holiday entitlement is shown on your payslip each week. It is presented as a decimal fraction of a week. For example, 0.5 means you have accrued half of the hours in your average working week. If you are unsure, please call our Payroll team on 020 7378 7068 or email payroll@suehill.com.
If I have not accrued enough holiday for the leave I’d like to take, can I take unpaid holiday?
Yes, if this is agreed in advance with your line manager. Please email payroll@suehill.com to let them know and leave the day(s) blank on your eTimesheet.
What about Bank Holidays?
Your annual holiday entitlement includes 8 days for the bank holidays. Bank holidays are accrued in the same way as other holiday. You will not be paid automatically for Bank holidays, therefore you need to request “Paid Holiday” on Bank Holidays by emailing payroll@suehill.com to let them know, providing you have accrued enough annual leave. Please leave the day blank on your eTimesheet.
If I am given Additional Holiday Entitlement (AHE) under the AWR, how will I receive it?
The AHE will be paid to you each week that you work as a percentage of your total hours worked for that week. This is in lieu of you taking that additional holiday. All of your accrued holiday will continue to be based on 28 days statutory holiday allowance regardless of your new holiday entitlement days. Your holiday will be paid at your basic hourly rate.
What happens if I have holiday left over when I finish an assignment?
Outstanding holiday will be paid in lieu when you finish your assignment.
Sickness & Sick Pay
If I am ill and unable to come into work, what shall I do?
You need to call both your line manager and SHR. Our office is staffed from 8.30am or you can leave a message on our voicemail.
What is my sick pay entitlement?
If you are sick for 4 or more consecutive days, you will be entitled Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). This is paid to employees who are unable to work because of sickness. SSP is paid for up to a maximum of 28 weeks. It is payable to all employees and agency workers (who are paid PAYE) even though you are engaged on a contract for services.
To qualify for SSP, you need to have been off work sick for 4 or more days in a row (including non-working days e.g. weekends and bank holidays) and earn, before tax and National Insurance, at least an average of £112 a week for 6 April 2015 – 5 April 2016. Your earnings are averaged over an 8 week period before your sickness began.
SSP is a daily payment and is usually paid for the days that you would normally work. The days that you would normally work are known as Qualifying Days (QDs). SSP is not paid for the first three QDs.
The standard rate of SSP is currently £92.05 per week (August 2018).
To get SSP, you should notify SHR that you are sick as soon as possible. SSP will be paid to you in the same way and at the same time as your normal wages. Tax and NI are deducted from SSP.
More details can be found here.
Do I need to provide a doctor’s note for each period of sickness?
For 4-7 days of sickness you can self-certify but for more than 7 days illness we will need to see a ‘fit note’ from your doctor stating that you are not fit to work.
The Government guidance on sick leave and SSP can be found here.
Pensions
How will the workplace pensions reforms affect me?
Workplace pensions law has changed. Every employer in the UK is now required to help more of their workers save for retirement. This includes those who work through recruitment agencies. When you begin work with us you will be automatically enrolled into our pension scheme, if eligible. Further information will be provided when you begin your assignment.
Health & Safety
What steps does SHR take to ensure safety of its temporary workers in the workplace?
We ask each of our clients to confirm they have carried out an assessment of workplace risks and have done all that is reasonably practicable to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all workers (including agency staff). You are obliged to comply with the client’s health & safety policy at all times during your assignment.
My line manager is asking me to do work I think is unsafe, what should I do?
You should raise your concerns with your line manager or appropriate safety representative at your place of work. If your worries are not resolved, please notify us and we will speak to the client on your behalf and conduct a site visit to assess the situation if necessary.
I am a new or expectant mother, what actions must employers take to protect my health?
Employers should take action to ensure that their workers, who are or in the future could be new or expectant mothers, are not exposed to any significant risk. Additionally, employers should conduct a specific risk assessment on receipt of written notification from an employee that she is pregnant, has given birth in the last six months or is breastfeeding. This must take into account any advice provided by the woman’s health professional. If any risks are identified then employers must take action to remove, reduce or control the risk.
Expenses
I’ve been told that I can claim expenses for something. How do I do this?
Contact the payroll team to request an expense claim form, please complete the expense claim form and have it approved by your line manager, send this to payroll@suehill.com along with all receipts. This will be reimbursed to your bank account in your weekly pay.
End of Assignment
What happens when my assignment is due to end?
Please let your consultant know that your contract is ending by calling us on 020 7378 7068. You will automatically be paid any outstanding holiday that you have accrued and not taken in your final pay.
We will update your details on our system. If you would like another assignment, update your CV to show your most recent contract and email it to jobs@suehill.com. We will be in touch with you when relevant assignments come up.
When I finish my assignment how long will it be before I receive my P45?
Your P45 will be posted to you following your last payslip; this will typically be within a week.