Can temp workers start before their references come back?
Sometimes, for some roles, with a clear risk decision on file. For others, never. Here is how to tell the difference.
Can temp workers start before references are back?
It depends on the role. For work with children or vulnerable adults, the checks the rules require must be done first. For other temp roles, the law does not set a fixed order, so many agencies allow a start after right to work and identity checks, with the client's agreement and a recorded risk decision, while temp worker references are chased. RefAssure returns half within 24 hours.
Start now, or wait?
A simple way to decide, role by role. Record the decision either way.
Wait for checks
Care, healthcare, schools and any work with vulnerable people. The Conduct Regulations require two references for these roles, and sector rules add more.
Start with care
Warehouse, production and hospitality, if the client agrees in writing and the worker is supervised until references are back.
Never skip
Right to work is checked before the work starts. That is how the employer keeps a statutory excuse under Home Office rules.
Check the contract
Many client agreements say references must be on file before day one. If so, that is your rule.
Why temp references are harder
Temp recruitment moves faster than any other kind. A client needs twenty pickers on Monday, a hotel needs banqueting staff for Saturday, a production line adds a night shift with two days' notice. Manual reference chasing cannot keep that pace, so references either delay the start or quietly get skipped.
Temp histories are also messier. Workers move between assignments, work through several agencies at once and have short gaps that are not really gaps. A good temp reference process copes with that instead of treating it as a red flag. See our guides to zero-hours references and temporary worker employment history.
What the Conduct Regulations ask of you
Before supplying a worker, an employment business must confirm their identity and that they have the experience, training and qualifications the client considers necessary (Regulation 19). For roles with vulnerable people, Regulation 22 requires two references from non-relatives. Our Conduct Regulations guide goes into more detail.
Make the wait short
The simplest answer to "can they start before references are back?" is to make the question rare. Send references at registration, not at booking. Collect referee mobiles. Let the system chase.
Built for temp volume.
Each worker takes about two minutes to add. Every referee then gets their own chase, running in parallel.
- Consent signed online before referees are contacted
- 5 emails and up to 2 texts over 12 days per referee
- One template per role type, added once and reused
- Credits never expire, so quiet months cost nothing
Chased for you, day by day.
5 emails and up to 2 texts over 12 days, stopping the moment the referee replies.
Temp reference questions
More in the full FAQs.
Do temp workers need references?
For roles with vulnerable people, the Conduct Regulations require two. For other roles, most clients expect them and many contracts require them. They are also how you confirm the experience you are selling.
How fast can temp references come back?
Across 229 completed RefAssure references the median was about 23 hours, and half were back within 24 hours. See same day reference checks.
What if a temp has no recent employer?
Use the agencies they have worked through, a college tutor or a character referee, and record why. RefAssure works the same for any referee type.
Can I send references for a whole intake at once?
You can send as many references as you need, and each referee is chased on their own timeline. See bulk reference checking.
Do I need a separate template for each sector?
It helps. You can keep up to 10 templates on your account. Add the questions each sector expects once, or upload your existing form as a PDF or Word file.
What does it cost for a busy temp desk?
From 80p a reference on the 250 credit pack, with no monthly fee, no per-user fee and no VAT added. See pricing.
Related guides
Fewer temps waiting on references.
Your first reference is free. Send at registration and let RefAssure chase.