27.06.2025

Recruitment MD responds to landmark agency worker survey: “Flexibility is the backbone of our labour market”

Gi Group UK Managing Director, Pete Taylor (pictured above), has urged policymakers to prioritise preserving flexibility at the heart of the industrial agency workforce, following the release of the largest survey of its kind into the views of temporary workers in the UK.

The newly published Agency Worker Survey, from the Association of Labour Providers (ALP), captures the experiences of over 2,300 agency workers across key sectors including warehousing, logistics, manufacturing and food production.

The findings offer a timely and crucial insight into the priorities of the UK’s flexible workforce. According to the data, 46% of respondents identified flexibility as the most important aspect of their role - a figure Taylor says must shape any proposed reforms coming down the track as part of the Employment Rights Bill (ERB), which has undergone scrutiny by members of the House of Lords this week.

“Flexibility is the backbone of our labour market, for businesses and workers alike,” he said. “The people powering next-day delivery, keeping our supermarket shelves stocked, and meeting the demands of modern supply chains are often agency workers who actively choose flexible arrangements to suit their lives. We cannot risk pulling the rug from under them, because the impact on the fabric of our society could be catastrophic.”

The UK government has signalled a tougher stance on zero-hours contracts, which many agency workers chose and prefer, with policy discussions increasingly focused on restricting or even outlawing certain elements of such working arrangements. Taylor believes this approach misses the mark and risks harming the very people it claims to protect.

He added: “The debate around zero-hours work has become too binary. The assumption seems to be that all flexible work is exploitative, when in reality, millions of workers actively choose it because it works for them. Whether it’s someone studying, caring for a family member, or just needing more control over when and how they work, this flexibility is a lifeline, not a loophole. The findings from the ALP in the biggest survey of its kind to date clearly back up this reality.”

For the most part, the agency workforce is aged between 35 and 44, with 60% identifying as male. For many in this demographic, flexible working arrangements provide a critical balance between earning potential and personal responsibilities. Taylor warns that blunt legislative changes could disrupt not only employment opportunities but also the functioning of critical supply chains, and even how families plan their lives.

“In 2025, we live in an on-demand economy. Think about how we consume and spend our time – a perfect quick example is your child drops their iPad and it’s a near miss of a shattered screen, so you immediately reach for your phone, add a screen protector to your Amazon basket and it appears on your doorstep the next day. We live our lives now at the click of a button, but that button can only be clicked if agency workers, often on zero hours shifts, are in the right place at the right time. Remove that structure, and the whole supply chain could feel the impact,” he said.

Taylor’s comments echo the findings of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC)’s Voice of the Worker campaign, which highlighted that 79% of temporary workers value flexibility and 68% say their work provides a better work-life balance. Gi Group contributed insights to that campaign, with Taylor even going to the House of Commons for the REC’s Parliamentary Reception, where Recruitment Business leaders and the REC have been collaborating with the purpose of supporting the Government in their understanding of the huge value temporary work offers both job seekers, and the UK Economy. Taylor continues to be a vocal supporter of balanced, fair regulation that supports workers’ choices without stifling the labour market.

“Temporary work plays a vital role in getting people into employment and keeping key sectors moving,” Taylor added. “This latest survey underscores what we’ve seen across our own workforce, that many people don’t just accept agency work, they value it. It’s essential that any future policy changes reflect that lived reality.”

As government pressure mounts to tighten regulation on flexible working, and the ERB moves through parliament, Taylor’s message is clear: targeting zero-hours contracts and flexible agency work as a problem in itself risks undermining a system that offers opportunity, inclusion, and choice to millions across the UK.

Posted by: FMJ 0 comment(s)