Temporary Workers Left Vulnerable
December 6, 2017
The number of temporary employees has increased in recent years, with nearly three million people across the country employed by staffing agencies. Temps often meet the needs of employers who are looking to hire workers for a particular project. Unfortunately, staffing agencies do not always provide adequate safety training for temporary employees. This can put workers at an increased risk of becoming injured on the job, which can jeopardize their income if an injury causes them to be out of work. Unfortunately, when a work injury happens, many temp workers are unaware of their rights regarding Workers’ Compensation benefits.
Issues Affecting Temporary Workers
A group of students at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law released a report entitled, “The Hidden Problem of Temporary Employment,” which examines the impact that temporary work has on employees and how it makes them vulnerable to workplace injuries and financial hardship.
To gain a better, more comprehensive understanding of temporary workers, the students interviewed a wide range of people in the employment industry, including temporary workers, government officials, employment attorneys, and worker advocates. They found that temporary workers are more vulnerable to workplace injuries than regular full-time staff.
According to a ProPublica analysis of Workers’ Compensation claims in five states, temporary workers were 72 percent more likely to be injured on the job than regular employees. When workers do not receive the proper training, particularly if they are working with dangerous equipment, they are more likely to become seriously injured. Yet, too often, host employers will contract safety training duties to staffing agencies, relinquishing their responsibility to injured workers. The staffing agency will also try to find ways to save money, which often includes cutting safety training programs.
Accountability
Often, there are far too few OSHA inspectors responsible to protect and ensure the safety of millions of workers. This results in many work sites going unchecked because there is not enough man power. In addition, host employers are not motivated by the threat of an OSHA inspection because the fines are typically small, so it is not enough to make staffing agencies stop cutting costs by eliminating things like safety training programs.
Researchers suggest that all employers and staffing agencies need to be held accountable for providing safe work environments and ensuring that workers are well-trained on the proper safety protocols at the work site. In addition, employees should be made aware of their rights.
Baltimore Workers’ Compensation Lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton Protect the Rights of Temporary Employees
If you or a loved one was hired as a temporary employee and injured on the job, contact an experienced Baltimore Workers’ Compensation lawyer at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton. If your employer or the staffing agency who hired you did not provide a safe work environment or the appropriate safety training, we will seek the financial compensation you deserve, including lost wages, medical expenses, and other benefits to which you are entitled. To schedule a free consultation, call us today at 844-556-4LAW (4529) or contact us online.
