temporaries

Temporaries refer to workers who are employed for a short period to meet temporary labor needs. They may be employed directly by a company as temporary staff or hired through staffing agencies, labor providers, or on-site management pools. Temporaries contrast with permanent employees, who hold ongoing positions, and with independent contractors or freelancers, who are self-employed and often provide services under contract.

Common forms include seasonal workers, project-based engagements, and temporary-to-permanent arrangements, sometimes called temp-to-perm, where the worker may transition to full-time status after a trial period. Staffing agencies recruit, screen, and assign workers to client companies, handling payroll and statutory obligations in many cases.

Industries such as manufacturing, administration, information technology, healthcare, and hospitality frequently use temporaries to cover demand spikes, absences, or specialized short-term needs. Temporaries may perform a wide range of tasks, from clerical work to skilled trades, depending on qualifications and client requirements.

Terms of engagement vary; durations are typically set by assignment, ranging from days to several months. Pay is usually hourly or daily and may be accompanied by limited benefits, depending on law and the employment arrangement. Regulations governing temporary workers cover equal opportunity, minimum wage, worker safety, and, in some jurisdictions, access to certain protections and benefits.

Organizations use temporaries for flexibility and cost control, workforce planning, and risk management. For workers, temporary roles can provide experience and income opportunities, networking, and a pathway to permanent employment, though they may involve less job security and fewer benefits than permanent roles.

Global practices vary; in many regions, labor laws, union representation, and social protections shape temporary work. Trends include growing reliance on contingent labor, greater use of staffing agencies, and evolving rules on permanent placement ratios and benefit eligibility.