Report shows temp workers have few protections, even as staffing industry sees explosive growth

Haley Hodges was working as a temp at a medical staffing agency in Iowa when she found out there were complications with her pregnancy and she was forced to cancel a few shifts. The cancellations led to her being placed on probation and her wages being slashed.

The pandemic has led to a huge surge in temporary hiring, according to a report by the National Employment Law Project (NELP) that highlights the struggles many of those workers face.

“I was struggling with pre-eclampsia [a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure] and I had made my employer aware that my pregnancy had become high risk. We agreed I would continue to work until I couldn’t,” said Hodges.

After her obstetrician called her into the hospital to induce labor, she called her agency and informed them what was going on. They seemed understanding at the time, she said.

“It wasn’t until after [the baby] was born that I was informed that I would be placed on probation for having to cancel the remainder of my scheduled shifts for six months,” said Hodges. “My wage would be cut down by $6 an hour and I wasn’t allowed to call in or cancel shifts during probation or I would be terminated.” She worked through the probation period at the reduced wage because she couldn’t afford to lose the job or find another after just having a baby.

Hodges’ experience is not an isolated case. NELP’s report details the...

Read Full Story: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/feb/03/temp-workers-underpaid-manipu...