Vicarious Liability and the Recruitment Industry

Increasingly, recruitment agencies are signing up to hiring clients’ terms of business, and more agencies have contracts of employment with temporary workers than ever before, particularly as a consequence of the agency workers regulations which came into effect on 1st October 2011. This increases the likelihood of recruitment agencies being deemed the employer of the temporary workers, and as such, increases their exposure to vicarious liability.

One example:

A recruitment agency supplied a construction project manager to a London local authority, who over the course of two years was accused of approving 17 false projects and defrauding the council out of a staggering £2.8m. The council argued they are not supervising nor employing the worker, and that the recruitment agency is responsible for the actions of the workers they supply and are suing the agency for their loss.

For help and advice about insurance for the recruitment and staffing sector please contact Adam Lawrence on 0118 916 5484, or complete one of our enquiry forms