Abstract
In recent years, there has been a trend towards the negotiation of closer contractual relationships between employers and employment agencies. However, little is known about this change or its likely consequences. In theory, such relationships can benefit employers by lowering fees and also reducing many of the hidden costs associated with the use of agency staff by improving the effectiveness of placement matching. Against this is the suggestion that formal partnerships are unlikely to have a positive impact given the uncertainty of demand for temporary labour and broader tendencies for risk displacement in buyer–supplier networks. In this article, our aim is to explore this matter focusing on recent developments in the UK's National Health Service.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 389–412 |
Number of pages | 23 |
Journal | British Journal of Industrial Relations |
Volume | 46 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Sept 2008 |
Keywords
- agency worker market
- employment agencies
- National Health Service