New guidance: Gig economy, agency worker and temporary worker employers benefit from new guidance on their health and safety responsibilities

Relevant businesses will include:

• suppliers such as employment agencies and employment businesses
• end user businesses

who require work on demand, or provide it via an online platform or on a task-by-task basis.

The free guidance ‘Health and safety for gig economy, agency and temporary workers’ makes it clear that such workers should be treated the same as other workers for health and safety purposes, and may also be entitled to certain employment rights as 'limb (b) workers' – generally, workers with a more casual working relationship, under a contract for service.

Operative date

• Now

Recommendation

• Employers should view the new guidancethe new guidance on the HSE website and review their health and safety arrangements for such workers to ensure compliance where appropriate.