Parcelforce problems.

[philh45]

My agency offered me an assignment as a night sorter at my local Parcelforce depot, in order to cover long-term sickness absence for up to six months. Started the assignment and from some initial chat I established that one of the staff members had initially been signed off for thirteen weeks. Did three weeks and the first day of the fourth week, came home and slept during the day. When I got up I found a message from the agency saying Parcelforce had informed them I was no longer required to work "because they (PF) were overstaffed", and that they would call me if I was needed again. Three days later I received a call asking me to go back in, again on an ongoing basis. Spoke to the night team leader and asked what was going on, but he just said "You're agency,if we want you we call you, if we don't we don't".
Firstly, given that I was told the assignment was long-term sick cover of up to six months, to have it canned after three weeks and then asked to go back three days later is a bit off-putting-not least the fact I've lost three days wages from the fourth week.
Secondly I'm having problems with the agency paying me correctly. On the first Friday that I was expecting to be paid nothing went into my bank account. It was the jubilee bank holiday weekend so I left it until the following Wednesday and emailed the agency quereying the fact that I had not been paid for the first week. I then received an email with an attachment of my payslip for the second week. This money was correctly paid into my account on the Friday. Spoke to my contact at the agency who said he would speak to payroll and ensure that the missing money was paid the following week....it wasn't,although the third weeks money was. At present I have still not been paid for the first week and my emails and phone calls have not been returned. Am tempted to give them a deadline to pay me the missing money, after which I'll file an ET1, but I really need the income from this job while it lasts. Any advice would be welcome.

[smok3y666]

We have agency at our place and it works exactly the same as you have described. They are called when they are needed and told not to come in when they are not needed, if there is no work then there is no work, simple as that. As for wages, again, exactly the same problems. As for any other issues, I can only presume that as you are employed by the agency and not RM or PF you would need to speak to the agency themselves. From my experience of working with the 2 regular agency guys at our place there is not much help I can give you as, from speaking to them, 9 times out of 10 the problem lies with the agency.

[philh45]

I know the pay problem is most likely with the agency....as to the other point, as I said,given that I was told I was covering someone who has been signed off for thirteen weeks and possibly longer, I don't expect to get canned after three. If they want someone to work on an on-call basis then why not say that so that people know where they stand, rather than mislead someone into believing they have a minimum of thirteen weeks work?

[smok3y666]

I can only comment from what I have been told by the 2 agancy guys that work with us and unfortunately that is how it works. RM/PF will ring up the agency, agency rings the guys, guys work, then one day RM/PF decide they no longer need them and we don't see them again for days/weeks/until required. Yes, it's s**t but that's how agencies work.

[philh45]

Spoke to another contact at the agency who said he'll investigate as to whether the payroll lady at Parcelforce submitted my timesheet for the missing week to the agency correctly and try to get it sorted for next week.