News & Events

By Dawn Taylor, Director of Business Development

On any given day there are 2.66 million people on contract assignments at organizations around the country. Seventy-nine percent of these temporary employees work full-time schedules. They work virtually the same work schedule as you or me. Temporaries can often become part of the workplace family, so there is no wonder that panic is created when a temporary worker is hurt on the job. Suddenly there is a scramble to find out who is liable for any medical costs associated with an on-the-job injury.

A few years ago, I had a temporary who had been on-site at one of my clients for nearly a year working in the mailroom. The client was relocating and all of the mailroom employees were required to help move furniture and file cabinets to the new space. In the midst of moving a very large desk, the temporary worker dropped the desk on his foot and broke a few of his toes. The frenzy that ensued after was anything short of insanity.

The client immediately called their legal counsel. The injured temporary worker was whisked away to a hospital. Unfortunately, no one at the client organization thought to call either me or the agency. We received a call from the temporary worker the next day, frantic about not having personal insurance and needing to know how the hospital bill was getting paid. Conversely, we also got a call from the client asking the same thing.

Co-employment situations can be somewhat vague to both the employer and the staffing firm. There are clear laws pertaining to most situations, however there are also situations where the rules are unclear. The situation I just described is clear; any injuries that happen while a temporary worker is on a client site are covered by the worker’s compensation policy of the staffing agency. Clients have immunity under co-employment law.

There are insurance limitations around how much a temporary can lift or move. There are also restrictions, depending upon the type of insurance that a staffing agency has, with regards to the type of work that a temporary employee can participate in. If you are working with a staffing agency, they should make both you and the temporary worker aware of all limitations and insurance restrictions before the position starts. The staffing agency should also relay to both you and temporary employee, the procedures to follow should an injury occur.

So to answer the question, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up; now what?” Call 911, and then call us!

By Dawn Taylor, Director of Business Development

This amazing age of Internet-related technology has allowed organizations the freedom to keep business moving without being centralized. Technology has also sent productivity to new levels and has given employees the flexibility to balance work and family life. However, there are also some negatives, particularly when it comes to the time-management of employees and contracted workers.

Recently during a client visit (this was a fairly new client with only one placement under my belt) there was a very long pause and some fidgeting as we discussed my temporary’s quality of work and overall fit. I braced myself for “the temp is not working out speech” which usually is easily said by most of my clients. But this conversation was different. This conversation seemed almost painful for the client.

Soon I was the one who was fidgeting. My client informed me that a lot of the temporary employee’s day was spent on Facebook as well as shopping on a popular shopping site. The temp was demonstrating a lack of productivity and deadlines had been missed. There were many mistakes in the work that she was doing. The burning question on my client’s mind was “what screening process did you use to think this employee would fit in this organization?”

The problem being faced by the client and demonstrated by my temp is not uncommon. According to a survey conducted by Vault.com, 25% of employees use the Internet for personal use during office hours for at least ten minutes each day. Thirteen percent of workers use the Internet for at least two hours per day.

It is unfortunate that we cannot test for common sense and Internet usage. It is also unfortunate that we have to remind temps that Internet use at a client should be only for work projects. Sometimes the client contributes to this unproductive behavior by telling to my temporary employees that it is okay to surf the Net if the work is done and there is downtime!

The problem with that is when the CFO or executive director sees this behavior it is almost always frowned upon. Most temporary agencies have strict guidelines with regards to computer usage at client sites. It is only allowed for work output.

My suggestion to all organizations who give temps Internet access is when the temp has downtime loan them to another department or find another project to be completed. Full time employees are expected to help other busy departments if there is downtime. Treat temps the same way.

Remember nothing good comes for idle minds especially when there is a computer screen and keyboard in front of them.

By Dawn Taylor, Director of Business Development

The saying goes that negative experiences stick with us much longer than positive ones. One negative experience with a temporary employee can send a staffing firm into the “dark abyss” forever. All of us are very busy these days and having the added responsibility of managing temporary help on top of one’s own staff can sometimes feel burdensome. But by not checking on a temp’s performance and fit, an organization runs the risk of not having a good experience.

Back in the day, the comment “everything is fine” used to mean “wow, good placement.” Now whenever I hear “everything is fine,” it sends a shiver down my spine. In today’s vernacular “everything is fine” equates to “get that person out of here!”

It is clear that there is a long distance from “everything is fine” to “get out,” so let’s try to bridge the gap. First, smart staffing firms ask specific questions about how their temporary employee is doing with work load, culture and fit. Agencies should not ask generic questions, but seek clear answers about an organization’s culture; the temp’s fit and work style. All inquiries should have the common goal of discerning if the temporary employee is in the right working environment AND if the working environment is working for the temporary employee.

As the client, you should also ask your own specific questions to the temp’s supervisor and co-workers. Is the temp personable? Is he or she working independently without heavy supervision? Is the temp helping to offset the department’s workload? Clear answers need to be received. Without them, precious training time is lost, departmental energy is wasted, staff get frustrated and money is spent inefficiently.

Honest communication is the only way to truly tell a staffing firm how the relationship is progressing. The only product we have is our talent and through our talent, we are either viewed as a premier partner or an irksome subject around the water cooler.

Negative experiences stick with us much longer than positive ones and negative experience with a temp can last well past the memory of the person’s name. All relationships are built on communication and good communication breeds trust. Good communication and trust will keep many of us from that awful downward spiral into the “dark abyss” or being talked about around the water cooler.

By Dawn Taylor, Director of Business Development

In the staffing world, we all have our horror stories about workplace dress. But as business professionals are we cognizant of the examples we and our managers set? Professional dress in the workplace has always had its challenges. As we try to provide our staff a more relaxed work environment, the line between what is professional and what is downright inappropriate is often skewed. Today’s progressive organizations have allowed employees to use their judgment on professional dress, however from what I have seen in the sector as I visit our many clients and associates, judgment seems off for a lot of employees and managers alike. And when you add temporary employees to the mix, you definitely get horror stories.

Recently, I had a client ask me to speak to one of our temporary employees because she was wearing some interesting spandex-type form-fitting pants. She was distracting the rest of the staff and her dress did not meet the standards of the organization.

These types of issues become priorities for me because we spend a lot of time with our candidates outlining appropriate and inappropriate behavior, including dress, in the workplace. So, when I get a call about something I know we have instructed our temps about, I’m immediately concerned.

As I walked into the office to shake the hand of the same temporary employee’s manager, I had a clear view of why our temp thought that maybe she could get away with the outfit she had on. The manager herself was in a form-fitting sweat suit and shoes that were made for running. So now I was forced into having a “do as I say not as she does” conversation with the temp.

Temporary employees do not have the same privileges that regular staff do, but it is very difficult for them to keep a “professional image” when they are seeing on a daily basis the “professional image,” or lack thereof, of their supervisors. We all know; “when in Rome, do as the Romans do.” Being “Roman” in the case of a temporary employee could cost them a chance at a full time job.

We all need to make the effort to outline clear and precise definitions of what is professional dress in our organizations and then follow them ourselves. We want every employee to be successful in work, culture, and style especially when jobs today are hard to come by for so many.

By Patty Hampton, CSP, Managing Director

Judy Greenwald, of Business Insurance, this week highlights some legitimate concerns related to staffing firms. While her article reminds us of how mindful we need to be about the employee-employer relationship and employment laws and benefits, her article got me thinking about the many costs employers can pay when it comes to “risky” business practices. But is the possibility of risk too great that we limit our use of temporary staffing?

According to the American Staffing Association, America’s staffing companies employed an average of 2.66 million temporary and contract workers per day in 2008. This figure is staggering and, with our current economic condition, is bound to increase. While Greenwald paints a sobering reminder that the use of temporary workers invites exposure, what she fails to mention is how staffing companies might just be the life jacket that organizations need as the economy upturns.

A professional staffing firm should have already established a strong client relationship before the client contracts the first job order. This greatly reduces any risk involved with temporary employees. The staffing agency is supposed to be the expert and not only understand any risks, but partner with the client to insure appropriate staffing guidance. Agencies should not just fill orders; our clients expect and deserve more. Agencies must help reduce overhead costs; eliminate payroll and benefit costs; shift some, if not all, of the burden in managing an employee’s performance; reduce unemployment claims; reduce the risk of poor hiring decisions and provide other opportunities on how to maximize ROI.

Greenwald’s article has reminded me that when we balance our clients’ expectations, the costs of doing business, and how we need to serve our clients, we not only need to hold ourselves to a higher standard, but the integrity in which we conduct our business will always be worth the risk.