It's a sad fact of life that agency workers are seldom treated as well as permanent staff. Having said that, agency workers - also commonly referred to as temps or temporary workers - now have greater rights than ever before. In fact, even if you're a temporary worker, you have a number of important rights from the day you start a new engagement and acquire equivalent rights to permanent staff once you've worked in the same job for 12 weeks continuously. As an agency worker, you always have the right to: Be paid at least the minimum wage Not have unlawful deductions taken from your wages Not be discriminated against because of sex, age, gender reassignment, disability, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation To enjoy statutory rest breaks To have access to employee areas including canteens To have a limit on the hours you work every week To enjoy unpaid parental leave if you qualify To ask for flexible working after parental leave To receive statutory sick pay, statutory maternity pay, statutory adoption pay and statutory paternity pay if you qualify To be kept safe at work To take certain claims to an employment tribunal If you're working as an agency worker and believe that these rights are being infringed, you may wish to talk to one of our experienced employment law solicitors.