Temp Agency Bristol: Vetted Temporary Staff for Bristol Businesses, Day or Night
A warehouse in Avonmouth short of pickers. A kitchen on the Harbourside down two porters before Friday service. A building site in St Philips that needs CSCS labourers tomorrow at 7am. That's the kind of call we take every day. Tell us who you need and we'll send people who are checked, briefed and on time.
- ✓Right to work, ID and references checked
- ✓DBS-checked care staff
- ✓Same-day cover for most roles
- ✓No setup fees or long contracts
A Bristol Recruitment Agency With a Desk in the City Centre
Our Bristol team works out of Castlemead Tower on Lower Castle Street, a short walk from Cabot Circus and Broadmead. Being in the middle of the city means we can get to clients quickly and meet candidates face to face, which still beats any online form for finding out who'll actually turn up on a wet Monday.
Most of what we do is temporary staffing: shift cover, seasonal peaks, sickness and holiday gaps, and the odd "we need ten people by morning" emergency. Plenty of clients also use us as a temp-to-perm route, or ask us to run permanent and executive recruitment once they trust how we work. Find out more about Staff Direct and the sectors we know well.
Why Hiring in Bristol Is Harder Than It Looks
These are the problems Bristol employers raise most often, and how a good temp recruitment agency should deal with them.
Temporary Staffing in Bristol, Sector by Sector
From the docks at Avonmouth to the offices of Temple Quarter, these are the people we place most.
📦 Warehouse & Logistics
Warehouse operatives, pickers, packers and goods-in staff for distribution sites across Avonmouth, Severnside, Filton and St Philips. A warehouse agency that can scale with your volumes.
Warehouse workers in Bristol →🚜 Forklift Drivers
Counterbalance, reach and VNA drivers with valid licences, booked for a single shift or a full peak season.
Forklift drivers Bristol →🚚 Drivers & Delivery
Van drivers, multi-drop and delivery drivers, plus 7.5 tonne and HGV drivers for regional work out of Bristol.
Driver recruitment →🏗️ Construction & Groundworks
CSCS labourers, groundworkers, site cleaners and trades. A construction recruitment agency in Bristol that turns up with the right tickets.
CSCS labourers Bristol →⚙️ Engineering & Technical
CAD technicians, quantity surveyors, maintenance engineers and electricians for contractors and manufacturers around Filton and Bristol.
CAD technicians →🍽️ Hospitality & Chefs
Chefs, kitchen assistants, porters, bar and waiting staff. A chef agency and hospitality agency in Bristol for restaurants, hotels and venues.
Catering staff Bristol →💙 Care & Support
Care assistants and support workers for care homes, supported living and home care, all DBS-checked with training records.
Carers in Bristol →🧹 Cleaning & Housekeeping
Office cleaners, housekeepers and temporary cleaning staff for offices, hotels, student blocks and end-of-tenancy work.
Temporary staffing services →🗂️ Admin, PA & Office Support
Receptionists, data entry, purchase ledger, personal assistants and executive assistants. Office support recruitment, temp or permanent.
Admin staff Bristol →💻 IT & Digital
IT support, developers, data roles and digital marketing managers. IT recruitment for Bristol's tech and creative firms.
IT & telecom staff →🎪 Event Staff
Event staff hire for festivals, conferences, sporting fixtures and corporate functions across Bristol and Bath.
Event staff Bristol →🤝 HR, Payroll & Executive Search
Outsourced HR support, payroll services and headhunting for senior hires, plus executive and sales recruitment for growing businesses.
Services for employers →Staff Direct in Numbers
Bristol at a Glance: Facts for Employers
| Fact | Detail | What it means for hiring |
|---|---|---|
| Population | About 472,000 at the 2021 Census, the largest city in the South West | A big local workforce, but a lot of employers competing for it |
| Local authorities | Bristol City Council, with South Gloucestershire and North Somerset on the edges | We recruit across all three, which widens the pool for your site |
| Ports | Avonmouth and Royal Portbury Docks, with large distribution parks on Severnside | Heavy year-round demand for warehouse, forklift and driving staff |
| Motorways | M4, M5 and M32, meeting at the Almondsbury interchange | Good for logistics roles, harder for night workers without a car |
| Aerospace & engineering | Major aerospace and engineering employers around Filton and Patchway | Strong demand for engineers, technicians and skilled operatives |
| Universities | University of Bristol and UWE Bristol | A large pool of students for part time, evening and weekend work |
| Hospitals | Bristol Royal Infirmary and Southmead Hospital | The NHS competes with private care for carers and support workers |
| Clean Air Zone | A charging Clean Air Zone covers central Bristol for older, non-compliant vehicles | Some drivers avoid city routes, so vehicle checks matter at booking |
Employment Costs in 2026: What Bristol Employers Need to Budget For
| Rule or rate | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| National Living Wage (21 and over) from 1 April 2026 | £12.71 per hour | GOV.UK |
| 18 to 20 year old rate from 1 April 2026 | £10.85 per hour | GOV.UK |
| 16 to 17 year old and apprentice rate | £8.00 per hour | GOV.UK |
| Employer National Insurance | 15% on earnings above £5,000 a year (since April 2025) | HMRC |
| Statutory paid holiday | 5.6 weeks a year, pro rata for part time | GOV.UK |
| Agency Worker Regulations | Equal pay and basic conditions after 12 weeks in the same role | GOV.UK |
| Pension auto-enrolment | Minimum 3% employer contribution for eligible workers | The Pensions Regulator |
When you book through us, we employ the worker. Our hourly charge already includes their pay, holiday, National Insurance and pension, so there are no surprises on the invoice.
How to Book Temporary Staff in Bristol
Most bookings take one phone call. Here's what happens after you ring.
Tell us the job
Role, number of people, shift times, start date and any tickets or checks needed. Call or post a job online.
We shortlist
We choose from people we've already met and checked. You can see profiles first if you want to.
They start
Staff arrive briefed, with PPE where needed. We ring you after the first shift to check it's working.
One weekly invoice
We handle timesheets, payroll, holiday and tax. You get a single invoice. See our approach.
Latest Temp Jobs in Bristol
Current vacancies with our Bristol clients. Hourly rates are before tax. New roles come in every day, so check all temporary jobs in Bristol too.
| Role | Location | Type | Pay | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warehouse Operative Days, lates and nights |
Avonmouth BS11 | Temporary | £12.80 – £13.75 /hr | Apply → |
| Picker Packer No experience needed |
Severnside / Avonmouth | Immediate start | £12.80 – £13.50 /hr | Apply → |
| Forklift Driver Counterbalance or reach licence |
St Philips BS2 | Temporary | £13.50 – £15.00 /hr | Apply → |
| Delivery Driver Cat B, van supplied |
Bristol & South Glos | Immediate start | £13.00 – £14.50 /hr | Apply → |
| CSCS Labourer Own PPE boots |
Temple Quarter BS1 | Temporary | £13.50 – £15.50 /hr | Apply → |
| Handyman Maintenance and small repairs |
Bristol, various sites | Temporary | £14.00 – £16.00 /hr | Apply → |
| Kitchen Assistant Evenings and weekends |
Harbourside BS1 | Part time | £12.75 – £13.50 /hr | Apply → |
| Care Assistant Days and nights, DBS needed |
Knowle & Brislington BS4 | Temporary | £12.85 – £14.50 /hr | Apply → |
| Data Entry Admin Assistant Office based |
Bristol city centre | Temporary | £12.80 – £14.00 /hr | Apply → |
| Purchase Ledger Clerk Sage or Xero experience |
Bristol | Temp to perm | £14.00 – £16.00 /hr | Apply → |
| Inventory Control Assistant Stock counts and reporting |
Filton BS34 | Temporary | £13.00 – £14.50 /hr | Apply → |
| Event Staff Festivals and functions |
Bristol & Bath | Weekend | £12.75 – £13.75 /hr | Apply → |
| CAD Technician AutoCAD or Revit |
Bristol | Contract | £18.00 – £24.00 /hr | Apply → |
| Digital Marketing Manager Hybrid working |
Bristol BS2 | Permanent | £40,000 – £48,000 /yr | Apply → |
Areas We Cover Around Bristol
As a temporary recruitment agency based in BS1, we supply staff across the whole city and out into South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Bath. If your site is on this list, we can usually have someone with you the same day or first thing tomorrow.
- Bristol City Centre BS1
- Broadmead & Cabot Circus
- Temple Quarter
- Harbourside
- Redcliffe
- St Philips BS2
- Bedminster BS3
- Southville
- Knowle BS4
- Brislington
- Hengrove
- Hartcliffe
- Clifton BS8
- Redland
- Bishopston
- Horfield BS7
- Filton BS34
- Patchway
- Bradley Stoke
- Aztec West
- Cribbs Causeway
- Avonmouth BS11
- Severnside
- Shirehampton
- Fishponds BS16
- Frenchay
- Emersons Green
- Kingswood BS15
- Keynsham BS31
- Portishead BS20
- Nailsea
- Clevedon
- Yate BS37
- Thornbury
- Weston-super-Mare
- Bath & SouthGate
Outside the South West we also staff sites through our offices in London, Manchester, Leeds and more. See them all on where we work.
What Hiring Looks Like in Bristol Right Now
Warehousing on Severnside and Avonmouth
The distribution parks out by the docks run hard from October to January, with a smaller peak in summer. The sites that cope best book their temps in September and trial them on short shifts before the rush. As a warehouse recruitment agency in Bristol, we can supply a full peak team or top up your core staff week by week. More on our warehouse and logistics staffing and warehousing staff.
Construction across the city
Temple Quarter, the Harbourside and new housing on the city's edges keep demand high for labourers, groundworkers and site managers. Clients come to us as a labour agency for day-to-day site cover, and as construction recruitment consultants when they need a quantity surveyor or site manager they can keep.
Hospitality, events and catering
Bristol's restaurants, bars, hotels and venues need extra hands at weekends, during festival season and through December. We work as a catering temp agency for kitchens and a hospitality temp agency for front of house, sending chefs, kitchen assistants, bar staff and event crews by the shift. Event roles are listed on our Bristol event staff page.
Offices, PAs and business support
Bristol's finance, tech and creative firms use us for reception cover, admin, purchase ledger, personal assistants and executive assistants. Need someone senior? Our executive recruitment team acts as a headhunter for hard-to-fill roles. We also offer outsourced HR and payroll support for smaller businesses without an in-house team.
Free Tools for Bristol Employers
Use them, print them, share them with your team. If you post them on your own site, a link back is all we ask.
Bristol Temp Pay Rate Guide 2026
Typical hourly pay for temporary workers in Bristol, based on the roles we're filling right now. Paying in the right band is the quickest way to stop losing people to the site down the road.
| Role | Typical pay per hour | Notice we usually need |
|---|---|---|
| Warehouse operative / picker packer | £12.80 – £13.75 | Same day to 24 hours |
| Forklift driver | £13.50 – £15.00 | 24 hours |
| Delivery / van driver | £13.00 – £14.50 | 24 hours |
| CSCS labourer | £13.50 – £15.50 | 24 hours |
| Groundworker | £15.00 – £18.00 | 24 to 48 hours |
| Kitchen assistant / porter | £12.75 – £13.50 | Same day |
| Chef de partie | £14.50 – £17.00 | 24 hours |
| Care assistant | £12.85 – £14.50 | Same day to 24 hours |
| Office cleaner / housekeeper | £12.75 – £13.50 | Same day |
| Admin / data entry | £12.80 – £14.00 | 24 to 48 hours |
Embed this guide on your website:
Free Staff KPI Template for Temp Workers
Copy this table into Excel or Google Sheets and fill it in weekly. It shows you, in five minutes, whether your temp staffing is working or costing you money.
| KPI | How to work it out | Healthy target |
|---|---|---|
| Fill rate | Shifts filled ÷ shifts requested × 100 | 95% or more |
| No-show rate | No-shows ÷ shifts booked × 100 | Under 2% |
| Time to fill | Hours from request to worker on site | Under 24 hours |
| Repeat worker rate | Shifts covered by returning temps ÷ all shifts | 60% or more |
| Agency cost per hour | Total agency invoice ÷ hours worked | Within your budget band |
| Temp-to-perm conversions | Temps hired permanently in the quarter | Track the trend |
Bristol Hiring Calendar
| Months | What gets busy |
|---|---|
| Jan – Feb | Returns processing, stock takes, winter care cover |
| Mar – May | Construction picks up, spring events, student exam season |
| Jun – Aug | Festivals and outdoor events, summer holiday cover, summer jobs |
| Sep – Oct | Students return, warehouse peak planning starts |
| Nov – Dec | Christmas retail at Cabot Circus and Cribbs, parcel peak, party season |
Six Things That Make Your Job Ad Work
- ✓Put the hourly rate in the first line
- ✓Give the real shift times, not "flexible"
- ✓Say how people get there: bus routes, parking
- ✓List the tickets needed, nothing more
- ✓Say when they get paid and how
- ✓Show what the team is like, in one honest line
Small changes like these do more for your employer brand than any campaign. Send your ad to Team@Staff-Direct.co.uk and we'll give you free feedback.
What You Get When You Book With Us
✅ Checked staff
Right to work, ID, references and, where needed, DBS and licence checks before anyone starts.
🔁 Replacements
If a worker isn't right, tell us and we'll swap them, usually by the next shift.
💷 Clear pricing
One hourly rate, no setup fee, no long contract. You only pay for hours worked.
📞 Real people
A Bristol consultant who knows your site, on the phone day and night.
See How We Work
Looking for Temp Work in Bristol?
If you want temporary jobs in Bristol that fit around your life, register with us once and we'll keep the shifts coming.
Work when it suits you
Days, nights, weekends, school hours or full weeks. Students, parents and people between permanent jobs all work with us. Part time jobs come up all over the city, from Knowle and Bedminster to Filton and Fishponds.
Part time jobs in Bristol →Paid weekly
You're paid every week, with holiday pay included. After 12 weeks in the same role you get the same basic pay and conditions as permanent staff doing that job.
Temporary jobs Bristol →Plenty of no-experience roles
Warehouse, picker packer, kitchen porter, cleaning and event jobs often need no previous experience. We'll brief you properly before your first shift.
Picker packer jobs →How to register
- ✓Upload your CV or call 0117 463 9635
- ✓Have a short chat with a Bristol consultant about the work you want
- ✓Bring your ID, right to work documents and any cards (CSCS, FLT, SIA)
- ✓Start getting offered shifts, often within the week
A quick note: the NHS and the University of Bristol run their own temporary staffing services, and roles at places like the Bristol Royal Infirmary go through the NHS staffing bank. We don't recruit for those, but we do place carers, support workers, cleaners, admin and catering staff with private employers right across the city.
Popular Job Searches in Bristol
Questions About Our Temp Agency in Bristol
How quickly can your temp agency in Bristol supply staff?+
For most roles we can have someone on site the same day if you call before midday, or first thing the next morning. Roles that need a licence or an enhanced DBS check can take 24 to 48 hours.
Which parts of Bristol do you cover?+
The whole city, including the centre, Avonmouth, Filton, St Philips, Bedminster, Knowle and Fishponds, plus South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Weston-super-Mare and Bath.
What types of temporary staff can I hire?+
Warehouse and logistics staff, forklift and delivery drivers, construction labourers and groundworkers, chefs and hospitality staff, care assistants, cleaners, admin and PA staff, IT staff and event crews.
How much does a temp worker cost?+
You pay one hourly rate per worker. It covers their wages, holiday pay, employer National Insurance, pension and our fee. There's no setup fee and no minimum contract. Call us for a quote for your role.
Are your workers checked before they start?+
Yes. Every worker has right to work, ID and reference checks. Care staff have enhanced DBS checks, and we confirm licences such as CSCS, FLT and SIA before booking.
What happens if a temp doesn't turn up?+
We confirm every shift in advance. If someone drops out, we send a replacement as fast as we can, and you won't pay for hours that weren't worked.
Do you only do temporary staffing?+
No. We also handle temp-to-perm, permanent and executive recruitment, plus outsourced HR and payroll support for smaller businesses.
Can I hire a temp permanently?+
Yes. Many Bristol clients start on a temp-to-perm basis. Tell us when you'd like to keep someone and we'll explain the transfer terms before you decide.
How do I sign up for temp work in Bristol?+
Upload your CV on our website or call 0117 463 9635. We'll have a short chat, check your documents and start offering you shifts that suit your hours.
Can I find part time or weekend work through you?+
Yes. Warehouses, kitchens, venues, care homes and cleaning contracts all need people for evenings, weekends and part time hours. Tell us when you're free and we'll match you.
Do I need experience to get temp work?+
Not for many roles. Picker packer, kitchen porter, cleaning and event jobs often need no experience. You'll get a proper briefing on your first day.
When do temp workers get paid?+
Weekly, by bank transfer, with holiday pay included. You'll get a payslip every week showing your hours and deductions.
Need Temp Staff in Bristol This Week?
Tell us the role and the start date. We'll do the rest.
Contact Our Bristol Team
Hours
Open 24 hours, 7 days a week