California Bill Would Protect Long-Term Temporary Workers

A California bill would crack down on the use of long-term temporary workers in lieu of regular employees, a trend that has alarmed workers and labor unions. Nationally, the “perma-temp” sector has grown 41 percent from 2008 to 2012, and now makes up about 3.4 million jobs, or 2.25 percent of total employment. The California bill would make the labor contractor – a temp agency – jointly liable with the client company for payment of wages, accurate reporting of hours worked, benefits, tax deductions and insurance coverage for workplace accidents. California’s proposal is based on similar legislation passed in Illinois and Massachusetts. Businesses claim temporary workers already have the right to sue if they feel they are being abused.