For millions, working with temporary agencies and doing what is collectively known as ‘temp work’ may be the only way to put food on the table. Temp work can be exhausting, difficult to learn quickly. According to recent reports, it can also lead to a higher risk of work injury. Reportedly, California ranks pretty high on the list of states where temp work injury statistics are quite high.
Those who take temporary positions in California have a 50 percent higher risk of getting hurt than those who have permanent jobs. There were a few states that had higher percentages. Two other jurisdictions had risks as high as 66 percent and 72 percent, respectively.
One reason for the higher risk is the fact that many of the temporary jobs are in typically dangerous industries, such as manufacturing. According to OSHA, untrained workers are one reason accidents are more likely to occur. Another lingering issue with temporary workers being hurt more than permanent workers is there may be in-fighting over who is responsible for their care when they do get hurt. Legally, the temporary agency is often responsible, but there are situations where emergency care has been postponed while the employer and the temp agency argue over who will pay for care.
With the onslaught of people turning to temporary work as a means of earning a living, knowing the rights and protections for temporary workers is beneficial. Both companies who hire temp workers and those who take temp work may want to learn more about the recent OSHA findings, especially how they pertain to workers in California. Any worker, temp or not, who is at risk of a work injury may benefit from knowing what worker’s compensation laws apply to their employment status and how they may go about pursuing claims for these important, state-regulated insurance benefits.
Source: theepochtimes.com, Temporary Work, Lasting Harm, Michael Grabell, Jan. 12, 2014