Recruitment Agency Withholding Payment?

[buffymad]

Other half got some work through a recruitment agency. Was meant to be for 4 weeks but ended up only being 1 (manager had meltdown and kicked all agency workers off site, he’s now been placed on leave of absence!).

Agency says timesheet hasn’t been put through since last Friday. He was meant to be getting paid tomorrow. What happens if they still don’t receive the timesheet - can they withhold his wages? Agency doesn’t seem to be very proactive in chasing things up either!

Just wanted to know where he stood so he knows what to say to the agency should he NOT get paid tomorrow.

[malagabob]

It’s up to the worker to get the TS signed for hours worked, and get it to the agency on time. By 10am Monday morning for example. Monies won’t be paid till the following week.
It’s a fact of life agency work. They will promise everything to get you on the job. Even promising 4 weeks when they know full well the company only wants someone for 1.
Agencies tend to side with the companies they’re supplying to.
If the TS is signed they are required by law to pay the worker.

[buffymad]

Each agency job he's been at, he's completed his timesheet and then been told to pass it to the manager/admin person who then gets it signed and forwarded on to the agency. That's what he did in this instance - passed it on to the manager (ie following the rules he'd been told).

Should it be up to the agency to chase for the timesheet or should he be chasing the company itself?

[EdmundD]

It is in the agency's interest to chase it up as without an approved TS they can't invoice the company for their fee.

[fiction-factory]

I've had the same problem very occasionally where the agency and I have had to repeatedly chase up an invoice. The agency may have a small pot of money for paying people in an emergency but generally they bill the company and then pay the agency worker. Fortunately it only happens maybe 1% of the time. All he can do is chase up the agency. if ut's still outstanding in a couple of weeks he could try making a claim through the courts if the agency seems reluctant to push it

[buffymad]

Well no money in his account so far. They gave some excuse and said it would be there by 4.30 today. Got his payslip and they only paid him for 32 hours instead of 38! Something else to contend with! This is his first wage with them and they deducted money for pension - can they do that?