DPD’s temp staff may have been denied statutory sick pay and pension contributions

Internal spreadsheets from DPD show that sick pay and pension costs are absent for thousands of temporary workers, suggesting they may have been denied these statutory benefits.

Internal records from the parcel carrier DPD indicate that the charge-rate spreadsheets used to bill large brands do not contain entries for statutory sick pay or auto-enrolment pension contributions for its temporary workforce. The data, covering over 3,000 agency workers across two financial years, raises concerns that the workers may have been denied these entitlements, been pressured not to take sick leave, or dismissed before the 12-week pension threshold.

Employment-law specialists note that such omissions could constitute a breach of UK law and contravene guidance from the Association of Labour Providers, which stresses that labour users must ensure full legal costs are covered. DPD, owned by France’s La Poste, said its agreements with recruitment agencies place the statutory responsibilities on the agencies and that it monitors compliance. The revelation comes as the newly formed Fair Work Agency prepares to enforce workers’ rights across the temporary-labour sector.