Working for Option A 
                     Agency Worker 
Induction
Working for Option A
Aim
• Apart from giving you an understanding into Option A we have just 3 
simple aims for this induction:
1. Your Safety
2. Protect you from exploitation
3. Ensure you understand your pay, pension & holidays
Our Heritage
• Founded in 2011
• By R&K Drysdales
• Large grower processor of sprouts, swede and leeks
• Problems securing staff
• Too far from Edinburgh & Newcastle
• Suppliers lacked understanding of Scottish Borders or Agriculture
• 2012 received GLA license and started supplying Drysdales
2019 
2013 2015 2017 New 
Tempbuddy
Set up 3rd party Berwick office Musselburgh 
sales opened office opens System
2014 2016 2018
2nd consultant Bigger Berwick Croatia office 
joins offices opens
Option A - Today
• Supplying 3-800 workers daily
• 16 recruitment staff and 6 in head office
• Turnover in excess of £8million
• Annual growth of 140% year on year
• Fully GLAA licenced
• Member of the REC and ALP
What We Do
• Predominantly temporary labour
• Following sectors:
• Agriculture
• Food processing
• Manufacturing
• Hospitality
• Construction
• Logistics
Our Values
1. We Care, for our Clients, Candidates and Colleagues
2. We value Honesty, Integrity and Authenticity
3. We value Transparency
4. We value Delivery
5. We value Professional, Responsive Action
Your Safety – Responsibilities
Who is responsible for health and safety?
“we are all responsible for health and safety”
• The company you work for must undertake risk assessments and reduce any risks to 
as low as reasonably practicable
• Whilst you must
take care of yourselves and any others affected
 not to interfere or misuse anything provided for health and safety
 inform employer of dangerous situations or practices
Your Safety - Covid-19
• Each individual workplace will have its own rules
• Will include
• 2 meter social distancing
• Screening
• PPE
• Your responsibility 
• To quarantine for 7 days if you have symptoms
• And for 14 days if you have been in contact or live with somebody 
with symptoms
Your Safety – Safety Signs
Prohibition Mandatory Warning Safe Condition
Your Safety – Working around 
Vehicles
• Make eye contact with the driver
• Don’t try and squeeze or rush by
• Stay within pedestrian lanes
• Wear hi-vis if supplied
• Be aware of blind spots –
•  if you can’t see the driver…they can’t see you
• Do not use any forklift truck or other vehicle unless authorised to do 
so
Your Safety – Slips, Trips and 
Falls
• Clean as you go
• Clean your area whenever you have a chance
• Put things away
• everything has a place and is very rarely on the floor
• Don’t rush and never run
• Wear appropriate footwear
• Take extra care on uneven ground or when ice is present
• At night ensure you have sufficient light to see
Your Safety – Machinery
• Do not use unless trained
• If in any doubt..ASK!
• Do not wear dangling clothes and cords
• e.g. hoodie tops
• Be aware where the stop button is
• Never reach into any machine
• Never attempt to bypass any guards or safety interlocks
• If you think something is wrong or faulty report it
• IMMEDIATELY
• Always isolate a machine at the power source before working on it
Your Safety - Fire
• Make sure you know where your nearest exits are
• And which exit to use if your usual route is blocked
• On detecting a fire or smoke or on hearing the alarm
• Raise the alarm, either by pressing a break glass call point or by shouting “fire, 
fire”
• Shut down your machine quickly if safe to do so
• Exit your nearest escape
• Do not stop to collect belongings
• Walk DON’T run
• Assemble quietly at your fire assembly point
• Follow the instructions of your fire marshal
• Do not renter the building until you are told it is safe to do so
Your Safety - Fire
• Find out where your fire assembly point is located 
• Find out who your fire marshal is and what they will be wearing …..
• Fire prevention is important
• Report any charred or hot wiring/machinery or plugs
• Do not put combustibles next to sources of ignition
• NEVER block fire exits or corridors – they are YOUR escape route
• Do not prop open fire doors
• Only smoke in the dedicated smoking area
• Only trained personnel should use fire extinguishers
Your Safety - Electricity
• Electricity can and will kill you if 
mistreated
• You will not be expected to work with 
wiring 
• Never open a control box
• Report any faults, especially
• Loose wiring
• Sparks
• Faulty switches
• Damaged insulation
• Tripping of circuit breakers
Your Safety - C•OCOSSHHHH
• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health
• Refers to chemicals and substances you may be 
exposed to
• Anything from cleaning chemicals to some 
ingredients, even flour!
• You will not be exposed to any hazardous substances 
during your job
• If this changes and you ever are required to work 
with chemicals or other substances
• e.g. cleaning
• You must be trained and provided with the 
proper PPE
Your Safety – Work at Height
• Working at height is any work above floor level 
even a few inches
• You will not be expected to use ladders or 
scaffolding in your job without further training
• Whenever you work at height it will be on a 
properly constructed working platform and 
gangway
• Take care and always use the handrail
• Do not run up or down steps
Your Safety – Knives
• You may be required to work with knives in your work
• Further training on correct usage will be given
• Do not remove a knives from the production area
• Never carry anything else when walking with a knife
• Ensure you have the correct knife for the job
• Ensure you use the cut resistant tape and/or chainmail that you have 
been provided with
• Always inspect your knife to ensure it is sharp and in good condition
Your Safety - Noise
• Some jobs are noisy
• If the noise is above the lower limit you will be 
provided with hearing protection and you can 
choose to wear it
• If the noise is above the upper limit you will be 
provided hearing protection and you must wear it
Your Safety – Reporting
• All near misses and accidents must be reported
• A near miss is an unplanned event that did not result 
in injury, illness, or damage – but had the potential to 
do so
• If you have been off work for more than 7 days as a 
result of an accident at work or suffered a fracture 
then we must also report it to the HSE as RIDDOR 
report
Your Safety – Manual Handling
'any transporting or supporting of a load (including the lifting, putting 
down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving thereof) by hand or by 
bodily force’
• If you have any injuries or conditions that affect your ability to carry 
out manual handling tell us now
• Always use proper technique and the manual handling aids provided
• If you are in pain stop and inform somebody
Your Safety – Lone Working
• Sometimes you may be working 
on your own
• If this is the case always ensure 
somebody knows
• Where you are working 
• When you are due to finish
• Ensure you have a fully charged 
mobile phone
• You arrange to check in regularly
Your Safety – Weather
• Sometimes you may be working outside
• The weather may be unpredictable
• Wet
• Cold
• Hot
• Windy
• Dress accordingly and assess the situation
• In summer this may require
• Hat
• Sunscreen
• Water
Stronger Together
• We want to ensure that you are never 
exploited
• We will never charge you for work 
finding services
• We will never deduct money without 
permission
• We will never hold onto your ID card 
or passport
• We will never pay you less than the 
legal minimum wage
• Contact [email protected]
Your Contract
• We will offer you a contract for services
• We may offer you work
• And you may accept it
• But we don’t have to offer you work
• And you don’t have to accept
• But once you do accept it we do expect you to turn up for work
• You will be sent an assignment schedule or details for each job you carry 
out for Option A, containing:
• Rate of pay
• Location
• Job title
• Hours of work
• Likely Duration
• Each of these jobs will be treated as separate roles
Booking Work
• Your consultant will contact you to 
offer you work
• Usually by phone in the first time
• Then via Tempbuddy
• Smartphone App
• Or email
• We will create your account and 
demonstrate it at the end of this 
induction
Your Pay
• The rates of pay will often vary for each job
• But will never be less than 
• The National Minimum Wage (NMW) if 
under 25
• The National Living Wage (NLW) if Over 
25
• The Scottish Agricultural Workers Board 
(SAWB) wage if working in
• Agriculture
• Farming
• Forestry
• These rates are updated in April each 
year
Your Pay • We usually calculate pay • Monday-Sunday 
• Except at RK Drysdales
• Saturday to Friday
• You will receive a payslip on Wednesday 
or Thursday by email
• Your wages will be paid weekly on a 
Friday by BACS into your named bank 
account
• Usually in the early hours
• But it sometimes be later depending 
on your bank
Your Pay
• If you have a pay query
• Contact your consultant immediately
• They will investigate
• If it is a small amount it will be added 
on to your next pay
• If its greater than 25% of your wage 
an extra payment will be made within 
1 working day
• If you have been overpaid please inform 
us so we can arrange repayment, rather 
than us deducting the full amount from 
your next wage
Your Holidays
• As an agency worker your hours will often vary
• So we calculate your holiday entitlement as
• 12.067% of hours worked
• E.g. 50 hours gives 6 hours holiday
• These hours will be paid at 
• Your average rate of pay over the last 52 weeks
• You can request holiday pay at any time
• Please ask your consultant if you want holiday
Your Pension
• All of workers are entitled to be enrolled in our 
stakeholder pension scheme
• This will happen automatically after 3 months
• You have the choice to opt out or to opt to start 
paying early
• Once enrolled we will deduct 3% from your wages 
and also contribute 2%
• Please inform us if you don’t wish to be enrolled
Any Questions?
?
Paperwork
• Copy of your right to work
• Passport/EU ID card
• UK Birth certificate and proof of NI number
• Bank Details in your name
• Registration Form
• Signed Contracts