Serving the Japanese emperor, pouring beer to blaring music on the main stage of a festival, serving wine to A-list celebrities at the BAFTAs: temp work brings plenty of surprises. For students in cities where various hospitality events are easy to find and temps are in demand, the traditional part-time summer job is out and temp work is in. Choosing shifts to fit around students’ busy summer schedules seems like a dream – the ability to fit the work calendar around one’s personal life. But is the unreliability and instability of temp work, coupled with long hours and often minimal concern for employee wellbeing, worth the flexibility (and the temporary ecstasy of fleeting fame)?

“The pay is competitive considering that little experience is required.”

I spoke to second-year students from London, both studying at Cambridge and elsewhere, to find out whether temp work is really what it says it is, or just a cover for poor employment practices and overworked, underpaid staff. All agreed that flexibility is the main benefit: most have apps or websites that, once registered, show available shifts and let staff pick and choose the ones they want to work, with no restrictions on the number or number of hours per week. As Amelia says, it allows you to “fit work into life, rather than life into work.” This is reflected in the people temp work attracts. Students found that the backgrounds of staff varied greatly depending on where they were working. What they had in common was that they were university students or recent graduates, as well as people from the performing arts industry, all looking for opportunities for a comfortable, no-strings-attached income. Temp work is particularly ideal for Cambridge students, as Cambridge’s no-work policy during term time makes it harder to keep a long-term job. Pay is competitive considering the low level of experience required – most recruitment agencies offer around the London minimum wage (usually between £11 and £13 per hour). For some, it’s a stopgap while they look for a regular career, for others, it’s their preferred type of work. Maddie and other students work exclusively as temps, whereas Amelia often found ‘not enough work’ at Host Staffing and has now found a full-time summer job that she likes much better. Alice balances her temp work with a part-time job; a way to earn some extra money. Temps aren’t always a viable option, though: availability of shifts depends on nearby events that require staff, meaning roles are concentrated in London and the summer and Christmas periods.

The disadvantages of temporary work are also its strengths. Gone is the everyday routine of the same workplace and staff, replaced by ever new groups of colleagues and workplaces. Likewise, if you are looking for a The office If you’re looking for a retention experience, then temping isn’t it. Students feel there’s “little sense of community” due to constantly changing colleagues. The appeal of working at VIP events doesn’t lose its shine, though: carrying a tray of champagne is a lot more exciting when there’s a chance Harry Styles is waiting around the corner (as Maddie discovered at the BRITs). Maddie described working at the BAFTAs and the BRITs as “really, really fun” as she and all the staff felt “less stressed” and “could enjoy it a bit more”. I had a similarly joyful time when I was lucky enough to see The Strokes and Girl in Red perform while working the main bar at the All Points East Festival. But the glamorous work that agencies try to sell is partly an illusion: at the end of the day, work is work, there’s no luxury in being on your feet for twelve hours pouring wine and setting tables. When I worked at the Wimbledon Championships, I never saw more of the grounds than the small corner I was working in. I didn’t arrive any earlier than I had to and left the grounds exhausted and in a hurry rather than staying and catching a glimpse of the tennis.

“Breaks are often pushed to the beginning or end of a shift, and employees typically don’t have more than a 30-minute break.”

And how well do you take care of your employees when there’s a new manager every shift? Most experiences were highly irregular. Typical worker protections are often forgotten or disregarded. Work hours are long (10 to 12 or more) and unreliable—with a built-in expectation to work beyond scheduled hours if extra staff is needed. On the other hand, students told me that it’s common to be sent home early and end up making less money than expected. Random shift cancellations can also occur: Alice found that Host often canceled her shifts just hours before work started. In addition, Alice described the likelihood of adequate breaks as “questionable.” Often, breaks are pushed to the beginning or end of a shift, and typically employees get no more than 30 minutes (the legal minimum is 20), even though shifts last 12 hours or more. Fast-paced, hectic environments lead to stressed managers, which leads to negligence when it comes to employer duties, even when there is no active intention to exploit young employees. And if your employer doesn’t know you personally, they are also less inclined to care about your well-being – Freya felt that employees were “just numbers” to the company.

By and large, employers manage to give their staff the breaks and fair working hours they are legally entitled to, but most have a horror story or two to tell. When Freya worked at the Chelsea Flower Show, on her two shifts from 7am to 5pm, she was only given a 15-minute break after a couple of hours had started, and when she pointed out the illegality, it was suggested that she “take her break” after her shift. There is less incentive for managers to build good working relationships if it is unlikely that they will work with the temporary workers again.

But is the fact that more young people are doing temping really something to keep you awake at night? Is it stopping us from learning about work-life balance or progressing in a role? Considering it’s just a summer side job for most people, this seems unlikely. While these aren’t skills specifically on a CV, temping does equip employees with new talent. Freya mentioned that she’s learned how to deal with the “diverse clientele” and feels that temping has given her more skills than if she’d stuck with a part-time role. Plus, temping isn’t limited to single shifts – longer weekends or week-long events are an option. Maddie worked at the Goodwood Festival of Speed ​​for four days, where the recruitment agency provided her with accommodation at a local university (affectionately described as “prison cell-like”). For four days, Amelia rose at dawn to board a company-provided coach from London to work at the Royal International Air Tattoo.

Ultimately, the people I spoke to were in favour of temp work: it’s straightforward, easy to find and rarely boring. Swapping a quiet pub for the main stage at a festival is a tempting prospect. Although individual managers can be difficult, large agencies are under pressure to protect workers’ rights. Flexible part-time jobs may still be ideal, but for cash-strapped students, comfortable, if sporadic, work is better than no work at all.