If you’re building a workplace wellbeing strategy, or already have one in place, you may have noticed a gap: not everyone working in your organisation is necessarily included. Temporary workers can be easy to overlook, particularly when they move between roles, sites or shifts.
The REC estimates that around 872,000 temporary or contract workers were on assignment on any given day in 2024. That’s a significant part of the workforce. When temps sit outside your wellbeing approach, the impact can show up quickly: more roster churn, patchy engagement and unnecessary pressure on permanent colleagues. The good news is that bringing temporary workers into your existing strategy doesn’t mean starting again.
By the end of this article, you’ll know how to include temps in the wellbeing strategy you already run, without rebuilding it.
Why temporary workers can fall through the gaps
Temporary workers can be unintentionally excluded from everyday aspects of a wellbeing strategy, including onboarding, mental health support, employee communications, manager check-ins and financial guidance. This is rarely deliberate; more often, policies and benefits are designed around permanent employees, while responsibility for temporary workers sits between the employer and agency.
That gap can create both a business cost and a human cost. A temp who does not know where to get support may be less likely to raise a concern early, while poor onboarding can create uncertainty around workload, safety or expectations. Feeling outside the team can reduce engagement, and unclear information about pay or holiday entitlement can create unnecessary financial pressure.
The problem is not necessarily the wellbeing strategy itself. The framework you already use can have a workforce-shaped hole. Its principles may be sound, but the way they are delivered often assumes someone is a permanent employee, has been through the full onboarding process or knows where to find internal support.
For employers, the answer is not to create a separate wellbeing strategy for temps, but to identify where temporary workers fall outside the existing one and close those gaps.
How to include temps in your wellbeing strategy
The simplest approach is to adapt the support, communication and everyday practices you already use so temporary workers can access them too.
Promoting mental health and support access from day one
Wellbeing support should apply from the first shift, not from the point someone becomes permanent. Make sure temporary workers know what support is available, how to access it and who to contact if they are struggling. If you offer an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), check whether temporary workers can access it and, where possible, extend access from day one and include the details in their joining information.
The same applies to mental health resources, occupational health routes and any workplace adjustments process. Avoid assuming an agency will cover this: check who is responsible for communicating support and make the route clear to the worker.
Onboarding and the manager’s role
Good onboarding supports both work and health: Temporary workers still need enough information to work safely and confidently, even if they are only with you for a few weeks.
Keep the essentials clear and simple: Cover their role, workload, breaks, health and safety, available support and who their manager is.
Managers should check in regularly: A brief conversation at the start, followed by a sensible check-in, can help identify workload or wellbeing concerns early.
Employee voice and belonging
Give temporary workers a clear route to be heard, such as a named contact, inclusion in team channels or a quick exit conversation, as well as a basic sense of belonging during a short assignment.
Don’t reserve team communications, social activities or recognition for permanent employees. Belonging does not need to mean elaborate programmes. Knowing who to go to, being included in everyday conversations and feeling that their contribution matters can make a meaningful difference.
The financial and practical basics, spelled out
Financial wellbeing starts with getting the basics right. Temporary workers should know what they will be paid, when payment is due, how holiday pay works and who to contact if something looks wrong.
Put this information somewhere easy to find rather than expecting workers to work it out themselves. Make responsibilities clear between your organisation and the agency, particularly where payroll or holiday entitlement is concerned.
Clear information reduces avoidable uncertainty and gives workers a practical route to resolve issues quickly, without turning financial wellbeing into another abstract workplace initiative.
Where to start this quarter
You do not need a new strategy to make temporary workers part of the one you already have. Start with three practical steps this quarter.
- Map the gaps. Review your existing wellbeing strategy and identify where temporary workers are excluded, from onboarding and EAP access to team communications, manager check-ins and financial information.
- Fix the first-day experience. Make essential wellbeing and support information available from day one, including who to contact, how to raise concerns and what support is available.
- Check with managers and temps. Ask managers where temporary workers currently fall through the cracks, then get simple feedback from temps themselves. Use what you learn to make targeted changes rather than adding another layer of policy.
The aim is consistency rather than complexity. Temporary workers should be able to access the same core wellbeing principles as permanent colleagues, adapted to the reality of their assignment.
About the author:
Olivia Coughtrie is co-founder of Oriel Partners, a specialist perm and temp recruitment agency serving businesses in London. She is well known for her direct and honest approach, and has many exclusive partnerships with her global clients that are looking to hire a PA or EA. Oriel Partners’ clients range from global multinationals to small independent firms, all requiring the same personal service and swift high-calibre support.
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