We are in a bad economy and that is undisputed. I, like so many others, have applied and worked for temporary employment agencies throughout my life. I have never, EVER, had a temporary or contract job that I liked.
I have had awful experiences and after speaking with various friends, they have equally had terrible experiences. In 2007, I worked through a temporary agency in a small southern city for a major company. I was a quick learner and soon I could do the work at a higher level than many others. However, soon after I started my manager started meeting me at the door with folders in hand requesting I complete work "off the clock" at home. I completed two days of work without being paid and called up my temporary agency (which is a well known nationwide agency) and informed my recruiter I was having to do work off the clock. She crooned all the right things such as "this is not allowed, I will speak to them, I am so sorry"..blah, blah, blah..
Well, the next day at work my assignment was suddenly without explaination ended. I immediately knew. I was not a team player in the wage theft that was taking place. I regretted my move to call the agency "then". However, I am proud of my decision "now". If you allow yourself to be mistreated you will ALWAYS be mistreated.
I worked through a different temporary agency a little later in 2007 and to my horror half of my coworkers were underaged, in their early teenage years and some maybe 9 or 10 year olds, hispanics. The agency was hiring undocumentated and underaged hispanic immigrants.
The next temp agency I was hired at promised me one rate over the phone for an office position. I had a B.A. and years of office experience. This agency was owned by a hispanic man and nothing but hispanics worked in the office. When I made it to the office there were two hispanic women in front of me. They could barely speak English. I overheard the agent promise them a much higher pay rate for the same position than she gave me. I asked her why. She did not say. I stopped the two women on the way out of the building and they informed me that they did not have any office work and could not understand why why were being paid more. I went on my way and found another position. A year later I received a call from the State Capital. It was a bubbly female on the other end stating that she worked for the EEOC and that she was traveling with several other attorneys from the Capital to the small city I lived in to file suit on behalf of the black workers and she wanted to speak with me. She named the company in question as one of the companies she would be filing suit against...
I hung up with her and shook my head.. wow.. I guess there is a God.
And the stories go one and on. The bottom line is this. Temporary agencies LIE. So often. They are corrupt and simply want to keep the companies contract rather than stand on Principle.
Also, Temporary agencies LOWBALL workers and instead of workers going permanent they often simply choose to replace them and think about it. Why wouldn't they? As they are getting paid from a cut of the workers salary.
I remember when agencies use to get about $1 to $3 dollars from every hour a worker worked. However, now they are getting 7 and 8 and in the case of my last contract position about $14 dollars from every hour a person worked. It was a bad deal. All the way around. Also, when you look at the fact that temporary agencies are notorious for flat out LYING to the unemployment office to help deny benefits to eligible people I say avoid temp agencies completely. They are not worth your time.
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