Your timesheet is the record that turns hours worked into pay received, so accuracy matters more than speed. Submit it promptly, keep your own record of your hours, and check your payslip against it. Importantly, an employment business must pay you for all the hours you have worked even if the hirer has not paid the agency, and even if your timesheet has not yet been authorised.
Why the timesheet deserves more attention than it usually gets
It is the least glamorous part of temporary work and the one most likely to cost you money. Every pay query we handle traces back to the same small number of causes, and most of them begin with a timesheet that was rushed, submitted late, or never checked against what actually happened on site.
The habit worth building is simple. Record your hours yourself as you go, rather than reconstructing the week on a Friday afternoon. A note on your phone at the end of each shift takes seconds and gives you something concrete to point at if a discrepancy appears later. Candidates who do this almost never have unresolved pay disputes.
Key takeaways
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Keep your own independent record of hours worked each shift
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Submit your timesheet promptly and accurately rather than from memory
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You must be paid for all hours worked, even if the hirer has not paid the agency
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An unauthorised timesheet does not remove your right to be paid
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Check your payslip against your own record every pay period
What does the law actually guarantee about your pay?
More than many temporary workers realise. GOV.UK guidance on employment agencies and businesses sets out that where a business runs an employment business, it is responsible for paying the temporary work-seekers it supplies. That responsibility is not conditional on the money having arrived from the client.
The guidance goes further and states it plainly. You must pay a temporary work-seeker for all the hours they work, even if you have not been paid by the hirer, and even if the work-seeker has not got a timesheet authorised by the hirer. This is the single most useful thing for a temporary worker to know, because it removes the leverage that a delayed authorisation might otherwise create.
Alongside that, agencies must ensure workers are paid for all the work they do, receive paid holiday, are not forced to work longer than 48 hours a week, are paid at least the National Minimum Wage, and are protected under health and safety law. Unlawful deductions from pay are prohibited, as is withholding payments or wages that are due.
What should you check on a payslip?
Reading a payslip properly takes about a minute and catches almost everything. Work down it in a consistent order rather than glancing at the final figure, because the net amount alone tells you very little about whether it is correct.
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What to check |
What to compare it against |
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Hours recorded |
Your own record of shifts worked that period |
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Rate applied |
The rate confirmed in your assignment details |
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Gross pay |
Hours multiplied by rate, before anything is deducted |
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Statutory deductions |
Income tax, National Insurance and pension where applicable |
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Any other deductions |
Your Key Information Document, which should itemise them |
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Holiday pay |
How your entitlement accrues and is paid, as set out at registration |
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Net pay |
The figure that should reach your account |
Your Key Information Document is the reference point for the deduction lines. It should set out every deduction that will be made and include a representative pay example. If a line on your payslip does not appear anywhere in that document, that is exactly the sort of thing to query straight away rather than let run for another month.
How to submit a timesheet that will not cause problems
Step by step
1. Record hours at the end of each shift
Not at the end of the week. Memory is a poor substitute for a contemporaneous note.
2. Include start, finish and break times
Unpaid breaks are a common source of discrepancy if left ambiguous.
3. Get it authorised where required
Chase authorisation early rather than on the submission deadline.
4. Submit by the stated cut-off
Late submission usually means waiting for the next pay run.
5. Keep your copy
A submitted timesheet you cannot produce is difficult to argue from.
What if your pay is wrong?
Deal with it in the same pay period if you can. Small discrepancies that go unchallenged tend to repeat, and unpicking three months is harder than correcting one week. Establish first whether the problem is the hours recorded or the calculation applied, because those go to different people.
If the hours are wrong, that is usually a timesheet or authorisation issue and your agency consultant is the right first contact. If the hours are right but the money is not, the issue is in the payroll calculation, and you should approach whoever your Key Information Document names as responsible for paying you. That may be the agency or, under some arrangements, an umbrella company.
Quick checklist
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Do the hours on the payslip match your own record?
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Is the rate the one confirmed in your assignment details?
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Are all deductions ones you recognise from your Key Information Document?
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Has holiday pay been handled as you were told it would be?
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Do you know who to contact for hours queries versus pay calculation queries?
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Have you kept copies of timesheets and payslips for the assignment?
Fees, deductions and what an agency cannot do
There are firm limits here and they are worth knowing. An employment business cannot charge a work-seeker a fee for work-finding services, with a narrow exception for entertainment and modelling agencies. It cannot make unlawful deductions from your pay, cannot withhold payments or wages due, and cannot charge you for a uniform without telling you in advance.
Agencies may offer separate services such as CV help or training for a fee. Where they do, Acas guidance is clear that they must not pressure you, must not treat you unfairly if you decline, and must not make finding you work conditional on paying.
Building a straightforward relationship with your agency
We handle placements across fourteen sectors, so the pay structures behind them are familiar ground rather than something worked out case by case.
Where a discrepancy does appear, our consultants are used to sorting these queries quickly, and dealing with it early almost always beats letting it run.
If you are considering temporary work and want to understand how assignments and pay are structured before you register, our job seekers section walks through the process.
Frequently asked questions
Can an agency withhold my pay if the client has not paid them?
No. GOV.UK guidance is explicit that an employment business must pay a temporary work-seeker for all the hours they work even if it has not been paid by the hirer. A commercial dispute between the agency and its client is not something you are expected to absorb, and withholding wages that are due is prohibited.
What if my timesheet has not been authorised?
You should still be paid. Government guidance states that a temporary work-seeker must be paid for all hours worked even if a timesheet has not been authorised by the hirer. Chase the authorisation, but do not accept it as a reason for non-payment. Tell your agency consultant if authorisation is being delayed on site.
How do I prove the hours I worked?
Keep your own contemporaneous record. A note made at the end of each shift showing start time, finish time and breaks is simple, and it is far more persuasive than a reconstruction weeks later. Keep copies of submitted timesheets and payslips for the duration of the assignment.
Can my agency deduct money for a uniform?
Not without telling you in advance. GOV.UK guidance lists charging for a uniform without prior notice among the things an employment agency or business cannot do. More broadly, unlawful deductions from pay are prohibited, and any legitimate deduction should be visible in your Key Information Document.
Who do I contact about a pay problem?
It depends on the nature of the error. If the hours are wrong, speak to your agency consultant, since that is usually a timesheet or authorisation matter. If the hours are right but the calculation is not, contact whoever your Key Information Document names as responsible for paying you, which may be the agency or an umbrella company.
Do I get paid holiday as a temporary worker?
Yes. Paid holiday is one of the baseline entitlements that agencies must ensure workers receive. How your entitlement accrues and how it is paid should be set out in your Key Information Document at registration. If that section was unclear, ask your consultant to explain how it applies to your assignment.
Can I be charged for help with my CV or training?
An agency may offer such services for a fee, but Acas guidance sets clear limits. It must not pressure you, must not treat you unfairly if you decline, and must not say it will only find you work if you pay. You also have cancellation rights, with five working days’ notice for most services.
Small habits that prevent most pay problems
Record your own hours, submit accurately and on time, and read your payslip against your Key Information Document each period. Those three habits prevent the overwhelming majority of pay disputes before they start. If something still looks wrong, raise it in the same pay period and our consultants will work through it with you.
Connecting Talent with Opportunity
National Temping Recruitment
0333 772 9824
info@nationaltemps.co.uk
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