I received the dreaded phone call on Monday, the one I was hoping I would not get this time, but I guess it was inevitable. The temp service I have been working with informed me that Friday will be my last day. The project is over, leaving me, once again, terrified wondering if I am going to be able to keep a roof over my head and food in my belly.
Unfortunately, this scenario is all too common. Many employers do not bother to hire full time employees anymore so they can save money on HR expenses and benefits. They simply keep a couple of full timers on the payroll and they hire the rest through employment agencies. The kicker is that many temps go into a position that is labeled "temp to hire" with high hopes of landing a permanent, stable job. Having been working with temp agencies for a while now, I am almost completely convinced that the prospect of full-time work is nothing more than a ploy to get the temps to work their butts off so they can get more done and lay them off sooner. I am beginning to believe that a full-time job with benefits is becoming a thing of the past.
The article found at http://www.americanstaffing.net/statistics/economic2006.cfm indicates that in 2005, 53% of those employed through staffing firms were able to move on to permanent position. What happened to the other 47%? Are they still temping just to make ends meet? This information is also almost 3 years old. A large company I worked for last year changed their staffing strategy in 2007. Instead of doing the temp-to-hire thing, they decided to have "permanent temps." They signed a contract with a staffing firm for their helpdesk work stating that all of their helpdesk employees would come from their temp agency (which is common), except in this case, none of the temps will ever be eligible for permanent hire with the company.
Of course, I can see the incentive businesses have to hire through agencies. They do save money on HR expenses and since they're temps, they don't need to hassle with any kind of employee benefits. In fact, firing has got to be the easiest of all. The company simply calls the agence and says "We don't need so-and-so anymore." They don't even have to give a reason, so I am sure this cuts down on any lawsuits regarding unlawful firing. Isn't it wonderful that people can be so disposable? I feel like nothing more than a whore in corporate America. They pay me for a quick service and then throw me away when they get off - or rather, get whatever project they needed completed complete.
So what can we do about it?
According to an article in BusinessWeek (http://www.businessweek.com/1999/99_22/b3631084.htm), indicates that common workers may have a leg to stand on against companies, like Microsoft, who have made a fortune from temps and contractors. If you know a company thriving on temps, get the temps to unite and file a class-action suit for benefits and stock options. If people fight back enough against the power of the almighty corporation, maybe we can win our middle class back! If enough speak out, maybe businesses will fold and go back to hiring full time employees and offering them benefits. Maybe people can start getting the health care they deserve. Maybe people can start saving for retirement again. This is the future of our country and we need to work toward improving it. Not enough people are standing up for their rights. We need to scream if we want to be heard!
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