Casual Workers

How to hire a casual worker

Charles BrecqueCharles Brecque
Last updated on:
April 1, 2022
Published on:
April 1, 2022

Read our guide on casual worker agreements

Read the Guide

Hiring casual staff is a great way to bring in extra workers while you build your business. There are a number of benefits you get from hiring casual staff such as lower payroll, less bureaucracy, tax savings and more flexibility. However, it is important to use the right contract type when hiring casual workers in order to ensure you are compliant with employment laws. This article explains how to find and hire candidates with the right contract based on the different types of casual jobs.

What is a Casual Worker?

A casual worker in the UK is an individual who does not work a fixed number of hours each week with no guarantee they will be given future work. A casual worker will generally be offered casual jobs on an ad hoc basis with short notice. The employer will need to register with PAYE if the the casual worker is treated as an employee. In this case the casual worker will make national insurance contributions through the employer's payroll. If the casual worker is treated as a worker then they will not be treated as an employee.

What casual jobs are you looking to fill?

An Employer will usually offer casual work if the demand and location for their services fluctuates or if they can't afford full-time staff. Not having full-time staff means it can be difficult to retain staff or train talent which is why an employer can consider hiring a combination of part-time, full-time and casual workers. Employers should therefore assess who they can afford to engage and on what basis. Employers can also look at the gaps they are trying to fill so that they can determine the different types of skills they expect employees or casual workers to have.

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How to find casual workers

Once you have determined the casual jobs you are seeking to fill, you can start searching for workers. Casual workers can be students or professionals in-between jobs so it is important to advertise your positions where they will find them. In particular Indeed Flex is a good option for posting job ads for temporary work. Posting on third party platforms like Indeed Flex or LinkedIn can also trigger job alerts for individuals who are looking for casual work. To increase your reach, you can also choose to list your casual work job on your website. With some SEO optimisation you can appear in search results for casual work near me queries.

Which Zero hours contracts do you need to hire a casual worker?

There are 3 different types of casual worker agreements including a single assignment agreement, a zero hour contract and a casual worker agreement. Workers who are offered jobs on a one-off basis can be engaged with a single assignment agreement. Workers engaged on a zero hours contract work on a regular basis without a minimum amount of work hours. Under a casual worker agreement, the employer is not obliged to offer work to the worker and the worker is under no obligation to accept the job.

How to create a casual worker agreement?

Once you have found a casual worker for your business you can offer them work on a casual basis using a casual worker agreement. The Legislate casual worker agreement can also be tailored to a zero hours contract or a single assignment should you need to. You can tailor the agreement to your specific requirements by answering simple questions about terms like minimum notice periods and wages. Using a platform like Legislate helps casual workers understand their employment rights whilst streamlining legals cost-effectively for your business. To create your contract, sign up to Legislate now!

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