LRD guides and handbook August 2020

Health and Safety Law 2020

Chapter 4

Pregnant agency workers

[ch 4: page 73]

The duties owed to pregnant workers under the Management Regulations cover temporary agency workers as well as permanent employees. The Agency Workers Regulations 2010 extend the right to a “maternity suspension” to all temporary agency workers who have completed a statutory 12-week qualifying period. Any pregnancy-related absence counts towards this qualifying period.

As long as the agency worker has enough qualifying service, whenever health and safety considerations prevent a temporary assignment continuing, the employment agency must provide an alternative assignment. If there is nothing suitable available, the agency must pay the agency worker for the rest of the original assignment.