The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) has written to Pat McFadden, the minister for employment relations, criticising the government department’s ‘Know your rights campaign’ for agency workers.

In the letter, Ann Swain, APSCo’s chief executive, argues that  the leaflet promotes and encourages stereotyping of agency workers. 

Swain writes: “Agency workers, as you know, exist not only in more vulnerable sectors, but also in the high-end recruitment sector, such as those represented by APSCo members.

“There is a huge variety and diversity in agency workers and we believe this should be celebrated instead of sterotypes being encouraged in the manner of this leaflet.”

Swain reiterates that APSCo is “a strong supporter of the rights of agency workers”.

The APSCo letter builds on other criticism of the images in the campaign as reported in the 18 February issue of Recruiter.