Blackwell Reference Online

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Temporary workers are employees of staffing companies or agencies who are supplied to client companies as needed, according to the client's order. Temporary employment serves the traditional purpose of providing fill‐in workers for regular employees who are absent from work (usually because of sickness or vacation). Temporary employment also enables client companies to quickly adjust the size of their labor input to fluctuating demands for labor ( see contingent employment ), and it allows them to obtain specialized workers for specific short‐term needs. Some temporary workers are direct hires onto the payroll of the company where they work (rather than being supplied from an agency), where they form a labor pool that is available to take up different jobs as needed by the company. Temporary workers move from one client company to another frequently and do not have employment security. Few of them get benefits that are not mandated because their length of service with their agency is too short. For some people, temporary employment is a preferred work option while they pursue other interests, while for others it is chosen only instrumentally as a bridge to regular employment. The use of temporary employment and its regulation by governments varies widely across countries. In the US, the use of staffing companies to supply the labor needs of companies in a wide range of occupations ... log in or subscribe to read full text