New starter with agency (Pertemps), and I have a few questions

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Hi all,

I've just started today through an agency, doing van driving and delivering parcels in the evening. My hours are 30 per week over five days. Is it likely I'll end up doing more than those hours? As I would like to bump my wage up a bit, of course.

I'm set to be working six days this week, today through to Saturday, so will I get a day off next week to make up for the six days this week?

Also, is it likely that agency staff are taken on by Royal Mail properly? And if so, how long does it usually take for that to happen?

Thank you for your help.

[Smoothbackground]

Hi all,

I've just started today through an agency, doing van driving and delivering parcels in the evening. My hours are 30 per week over five days. Is it likely I'll end up doing more than those hours? As I would like to bump my wage up a bit, of course.

I'm set to be working six days this week, today through to Saturday, so will I get a day off next week to make up for the six days this week?

Also, is it likely that agency staff are taken on by Royal Mail properly? And if so, how long does it usually take for that to happen?

Thank you for your help.

Once you establish a rapport with the Royal Mail managers booking you, you might find you can, within reason, dictate the hours you want to work. Not guaranteed though as a lot of offices only have vans available in the afternoon hence the shorter shifts.

Days off is a similar situation. Bear in mind though that, until you get your feet under the table, it is a week by week thing and there is no guarantee of work next week.

And yes, they do take on agency staff, though they are (or were) surprisingly picky in offering jobs! I was eventually offered a permanent job and was contacted directly by an “agency conversion” recruiter from HR. Other agency workers in my cohort just applied direct for jobs on the RM website and then told the managers — who in some cases weren’t too happy — they would be back next week as permanent employees! (Things have tightened up quite a bit now, but last year was a bit of a free-for-all as it was possible to be offered a permanent job over the phone from HR and the first the DO would know about it would be when they were told you would be starting at 8am on Monday, whereas now it has gone back to you having an interview with a manager at the office you’re applying to who gets the final say on whether you get the job.)