If you've ever looked at an agency rate for a waiter or kitchen porter and compared it to your own staff's hourly pay, the gap can look large. But most of that gap isn't agency profit. It's the cost of employing someone properly.

Here's what actually sits behind the hourly rate in 2026.

Start with the minimum wage

From April 2026, the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71 an hour. Most temporary hospitality staff are paid at or a little above this.

Then add the costs every employer pays

Whoever employs the worker, whether that's you or an agency, has to pay more than the hourly wage:

  • Holiday pay. Workers build up paid holiday as they work. For staff with irregular hours, this is usually worked out at 12.07% of hours worked.
  • Employer National Insurance. Since April 2025, employers pay 15% on earnings above £5,000 a year.
  • Pension. Eligible workers must be auto-enrolled, with the employer paying at least 3% of qualifying earnings.

Put together, a worker paid £12.71 an hour costs the employer roughly £16.50 to £16.75 an hour before anything else is added.

What the agency adds

On top of that, an agency covers its own costs: finding and checking staff, confirming shifts, running weekly payroll, insurance, and handling problems at short notice. That's where its margin comes from.

So when you see a temporary rate in the high teens or around £20 an hour for front-of-house or kitchen staff, most of it is going on the worker and the legal costs of employing them.

Why it can still be the cheaper option

Comparing an agency rate with your own staff's hourly pay isn't a fair comparison. Your own staff also cost you holiday pay, National Insurance and pension, plus things that don't show up per hour:

  • Recruitment time spent advertising, interviewing and onboarding
  • Paying people when it's quiet, because permanent rotas don't flex day to day
  • Staff turnover. Hospitality has one of the highest turnover rates of any sector, so recruitment costs keep coming back

For a busy Saturday, a Christmas party or a conference, paying only for the hours you need is often the cheaper option overall.

When temporary staff don't make sense

If you're using agency staff every week to cover the same gap, that's a sign you need another permanent team member. Long-term reliance on temporary cover costs more than hiring, and you lose the consistency of a settled team.

A good mix for most venues is a strong permanent core, with temporary staff for peaks, events and absence.

How to get the best value

  1. Give as much notice as you can. Last-minute bookings are harder to fill well.
  2. Ask for the same staff back. People who know your venue are productive from the first minute.
  3. Brief them properly. Ten minutes at the start of a shift saves a lot of mistakes.
  4. Be clear on the role. A kitchen porter, a commis chef and a chef de partie are very different jobs.

If you run a hotel, venue or catering business in Oxfordshire or Buckinghamshire and want a quote for temporary staff, send us your dates.