temping help

[*ALFIE*]

Its been over a week since i started work as a temp thorugh an agency. Initially i was told my position would last just 2 weeks but may extend to a month - so i'm unsure how long I will be working for exactly. is it wise to register as a temp with another agency ? or should i wait until my present temping ends ?

The thing is, I don't want to be on benefit again when my temp job finishes - Please help.

[gammaray]

One of the problems (or benefits, depending on your view) ALFIE is that work from employment agencies is, by it's very nature, temporary. You, the employee, are always the last to know about where and when you will be working. Some people love it, some can't cope with the uncertainty. There is nothing to stop you registering with another agency, but it creates two problems. One is that with either agency your will not always be available to work because you will be working for the other. In the agencies eyes this makes you unreliable, and therefore further down the food chain when it comes to being offered assignments. The second is that it creates a problem in terms of tax and NI because you are effectively working for two companies at the same time.

On the whole I would say that agencies like you to be faithful to them and frown upon you joining others. I would also say that a good agency will always place people and have a variety of contracts on the go. Remember that it's in the agencies own interest to keep you working because they, as well as you, are only paid while you are!

[theo_wyvern]

gammaray's correct, you need to build up a levle of service for one agency and you should get constantly placed - obviously there are no guarantees though as it depends on the jobs they get in.

[Sparkles3]

I agree with gammaray and theo_wyvern in that if you stay with an agency for some time, they will tend to look after you. I did quite a lot of temping and some of the jobs turned from one week into months - companies often take you on for a short period to check you're going to be suitable - maybe even a perm job at the end of it. Occasionally you might have to take jobs that are not ideal, but if you show willing, a good Agency will reward your loyalty with remembering you first for the good jobs. If they don't - choose another agency to be loyal to!!

[Yamni]

Hi Alfie, I have been temping for 12 years and it has never let me down. You get paid every week so always know you are getting money in. I have a �90,000 mortgage on my temping job...I'm only with one agency always have been with them.....each job usually your hourly wage goes up.....and after a while you can ask for what you want...I started 12 yrs ago on �4.45 and now get �11 an hr.....good luck