The Secret to Avoiding Issues with Temporary Workers
November 19, 2018 | Staffing Blog
It is becoming increasingly common for employers to turn to temporary hiring due to a ramp-up of production or a brief need for some extra hands. Bringing on temporary staff helps to solve the lack of workers needed to accomplish the task at hand, but there are some other issues that could arise if you do not go about it the right way.
To ensure that you are giving yourself a solution through temporary hiring rather than more troubles, we are going to clue you in on the secret you need for success.
Know What Your Responsibilities Are to Your Temporary Staff
As you enter this new territory of employment, the most important thing for you to know is exactly what your role is when it comes to the temp’s safety defined by OSHA. This can be a little confusing for some, as you will be sharing joint responsibility with a staffing agency. Each case will be a little different depending on the circumstances, so having a contract between the two of you naming where all responsibilities lie will ensure that everyone is on the same page.
The most common aspects of safety that you will be responsible for will be in regards to the workplace and any equipment/hazard trainings necessary in order to ensure that the employee is properly informed. Here are some other practices that will help you to avoid any issues:
- Communicate thoroughly with the staffing agency to ensure that all necessary protections are provided.
- Know that the staffing agency should be checking on the conditions of the workplace to ensure that their workers are in safe environment.
- You must be aware of all existing hazards within your workplace, ignorance of these are not an excuse.
Create A System for Employee Management
It is in your best interest to have a system created so you can be sure that you have covered all of the necessary bases with each new temporary employee. This system will be most effective if you:
1. Plan Accordingly
Make sure you are fully assessing the amount of labor needed to accomplish the job you are hiring them for. It will be much easier for you to recruit 3 temps at once rather than to find yourself shorthanded and have to scramble to find a couple more as you discover a lack of progress. In addition, as mentioned before, you will want to be fully aware of the conditions of your workplace and any precautions or information you need to communicate to new employees to ensure their safety. This is to protect everyone involved.
2. Fill Out All Of The Paperwork
Each temporary hire requires special paperwork and contracts to be filled out by your staffing agency. The usual forms include I-9, the W-4, state withholding forms and agreements, a temporary employment agreement letter, training agreements, and a valid temporary employee contract. Your staffing partner will work with you to ensure all of the required documentation is complete for proper payment processing and to help to avoid any issues involving unemployment compensation.
3. Train Each Person Thoroughly
Your new temp’s training should begin from the moment that they are hired on. They should be treated just as any regular employee would be and given refresher trainings when anything new comes up. All employees should be given refresher trainings as a standard practice so you can be sure that each and every person is adequately informed.
In Conclusion
The most important thing is to know what your responsibilities are and how you best can prepare your temporary hire to do the job you require of them. Make sure you cover all of the bases by communicating with your staffing partner, creating awareness around existing hazards, and training each individual fully. If you have anymore questions about your personal responsibilities when hiring on temporary workers, please feel free to reach out to us.