A joint task force of recruiters, users of temporary agency labour and the CIPD is set to warn the government of the potential dangers of changes to laws regarding temporary workers.

The Agency Work Commission, made up of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) and other bodies, was due to make formal recommendations to the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform about the forthcoming directive on temporary agency work.

Tom Hadley, director of external relations at the REC, said that the commission wanted to ensure that any changes were clearly explained and communicated.

“We’re very keen to avoid an avalanche of employment tribunals,” said Hadley. To this end it was vital to introduce alternative measures to aid the resolution of disputes, he added.

The directive means that after 12 weeks in a job, an agency worker will be entitled to the same treatment as employees in permanent positions.

Hadley said it was also important to clarify whether the “equal treatment” would cover pay alone, which employers saw as relatively simple, or benefits too, which would be far more complex.

The government is expected to seek formal consultation on the issue in February or March. Hadley said it was important that the HR and recruitment communities provided feedback to gain a strong voice in the formal consultation process.