In August, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled that companies using temporary workers are considered “joint employers” of those workers and share responsibility with staffing agencies for liabilities regarding them. In addition, unionized temporary workers have the right to bargain with the parent company as well as the agency. The ruling reverses decades of precedent defining who an employer is under the National Labor Relations Act.
It could have a major impact on manufacturers, which use temporary workers more than you might think. According to the Census Bureau, manufacturers paid $32 billion to temporary workers in 2013, or 5.3 percent of their total payroll. In comparison, manufacturers spent $27 billion on temps in 2011, or 4.8 percent of total payroll.