What You Need to Know about Employing Temporary Workers

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By Lorna Faires

Topics: Employing Temporary Workers

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What_You_Need_to_Know_about_Employing_Temporary_Workers.jpgThe hiring trend of employing temporary workers is on the rise. The labour force now includes more short-term, seasonal, contract, and otherwise temporary workers than ever before. You might be thinking of jumping on the bandwagon and hiring temp workers, too. If so, here are some important things that you should know about employing temporary workers.

1. The Benefits

More and more employers are hiring temps because they offer real benefits. When employing temporary workers, you’ll benefit from increased flexibility—you’ll be able to ensure that you have the exact right number of workers on site at all times because you can increase or decrease your workforce as needed, without penalty. This will reduce your costs and boost productivity.

You’ll also save on the fixed costs of payroll and on the costs of overtime. You may be able to bring in specialized skills that you don’t have in-house as well. And you’ll also benefit from improved employee morale—by hiring assistance for your permanent employees, you’ll be able to reduce workloads and stress.

2. The Laws Still Apply

Temporary workers are protected under the Employment Standards Act and hold the same rights as your full-time employees. You must follow the regulations for minimum wage, hours of work, breaks, holiday pay, vacation pay, and more.

Things get tricky when you’re hiring independent contractors though—those workers who are not on payroll and are known as self-employed individuals are not entitled to the same rights. But making the distinction between temp worker and independent contractor, and classifying correctly, can be difficult. You can face many consequences if you misclassify, including fines, penalties, lawsuits, and even jail time. Know the risks and the law if you are thinking of employing temporary workers.

3. Using a Staffing Agency Is Your Best Bet

When employing temporary workers, you’re faced with unique legal risks. But you can reduce these risks by partnering with a staffing agency. Under this partnership, the agency is the temp workers’ legal employer, not you, so you don’t have as many hassles, risks, and administrative headaches to deal with. You won’t even have to process payroll, deal with human resources issues, or even recruit or hire. The staffing agency will handle all of this work and shoulder much of the risk of employing temporary workers. It’s the safest way, and the most convenient and cost-effective way, to add temp workers to your workforce.

Working with a staffing firm can also allow you to get better talent from a larger candidate pool and allow you to hire more quickly.

4. Treat Temp Workers Right

Your temps will no doubt bring value to your workforce with new skills, experience, and extra help. But to improve the value of your temporary staffing investment, you need to treat your temp workers right. Make them feel like part of the team, give them credit when it’s due, and create a great workplace environment that they’ll enjoy working in. The happier your temps are, the harder they’ll work.

5. You Might Be Able to Hire Them on Full Time

If you’re employing temporary workers that you come to love, you might not have to give them up once their assignments end. Many temp workers hope to be offered permanent work from their temporary assignments. And thanks to the temp-to-perm employment model, you may be able to permanently hire temp workers that bring value to your organization. Once you’ve tested out their skills first hand, know that they fit in with your company culture, and believe that they could be assets to your company, you can discuss permanent employment with them and the staffing agency they work for.

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Lorna Faires

I have over 15 years of experience in the staffing industry, in a management role. I possess a strong background in recruitment, screening, and connecting candidates with the right employment opportunities. I love all animals, but especially my 3 dogs. Hiking and canoeing are my passions, and getting out into nature and being unplugged is my favourite way to spend my vacations.

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