Category: Temporary/Contingent Workers

Protecting Temporary Workers: Best Practices for Host Employers

  Hiring temporary workers can be a way for businesses to meet fluctuating labor demands. But, keeping temporary workers safe on the job presents unique challenges, in part due to their dual employment arrangement in which they are paid by a staffing company and assigned to work for a host employer company. According to the Read More >

Posted on by Lauren Menger-Ogle, Michael Foley, Diana Ceballos, Thomas Cunningham, Rebecca GuerinLeave a comment

Injury Among Temporary and Permanent Workers in Ohio

There are an estimated 1.4 million temporary help agency workers in the US.[i] However, to date, there has been limited research comparing injury rates of temporary and permanent workers. NIOSH recently published “Comparative analyses of workers’ compensation claims of injury among temporary and permanent employed workers in Ohio” in the American Journal of Industrial Medicinehttp://at Read More >

Posted on by Steve Wurzelbacher, PhD; Ibraheem S. Al‐Tarawneh PhD; and Stephen Bertke, PhDLeave a comment

Musculoskeletal Health Research to Benefit Temporary Retail Workers

In October 2017 we published the first blog in a series to highlight musculoskeletal health research at NIOSH. With the holiday season upon us, this next installment will take the opportunity to discuss how best to promote musculoskeletal health in retail establishments to reduce the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders among temporary retail workers. Temporary or Read More >

Posted on by Emily Warner, MA and Jack Lu, PhD, CPE 1 Comment

Nonstandard Work Arrangements

Who is looking out for workers in nonstandard work arrangements? As the prevalence of nonstandard work arrangements (such as temporary agency, contract, and “gig” arrangements) rises, so do concerns about workplace safety and health among this workforce. A recent article, “Nonstandard work arrangements and worker health and safety” published in the American Journal of Industrial Read More >

Posted on by John Howard, MD18 Comments

New Research Identifies 5 Best Practices for Keeping Contractors Safe

  Creating a culture of safety isn’t just meant for full-time employees of an organization. It requires the involvement all workers whether full-time, temporary or contract and the diligence of the companies or organizations where their work occurs. Contractor safety management is extremely relevant in our increasingly global and complex world that involves work in Read More >

Posted on by Joy Inouye22 Comments

Labor Day Message from NIOSH Director, John Howard, M.D.

  Labor Day is a time to reflect upon and honor the contribution by American workers to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. First celebrated in New York City in 1882, Labor Day became an official federal holiday in 1894. While the character of the celebrations has changed over time, Labor Day today Read More >

Posted on by John Howard, M.D.2 Comments

Addressing the Hazards of Temporary Employment

A Joint Session of the NORA Manufacturing Sector and Services Sector Councils Factors such as fluctuations in the economy, changing social habits and access to technology have boosted a rapid growth in temporary work arrangements [Luo,T]. Under many names–temporary workers, contingent workers, contract workers, long-term temps, workers in dual employer situations, on-demand freelance–these workers seem Read More >

Posted on by Cheryl F. Estill, Thais Morata,Terri Schnorr, Barbara Materna9 Comments

How Does Work Affect the Health of the U.S. Population? Free Data from the 2010 NHIS-OHS Provides the Answers

You may have some hypotheses about how work affects the health of the U.S. population, but collecting data from a nationally representative sample is expensive and time-consuming. What if there was free data available at your fingertips? You’re in luck! NIOSH sponsored an Occupational Health Supplement (OHS) to the 2010 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), Read More >

Posted on by Sara E. Luckhaupt, MD, MPH; Dara L. Burris, BS 12 Comments

Contingent Workers

One analysis of 2005 federal data found that 16% of contingent workers have family incomes less than $20,000, a proportion twice as high as that of noncontingent workers. Only 13% of contingent workers had health insurance provided by their employer, compared with 72% of noncontingent workers. Read More >

Posted on by Kristin J. Cummings, MD, MPH, and Kathleen Kreiss, MD1 Comment