Are Temporary Workers Protected?

Often, employers will neglect the welfare of their temporary employees by failing to record work-related injuries and illnesses. Temporary workers are often working in the most dangerous conditions because they are thrust into new roles, often without prior training. Recently, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) received a number of reports of temporary workers being injured on the job in the first week of employment. Consequently, OSHA has formed the Temporary Worker Initiative to ensure that temporary workers receive the same protections as everyone else.

Integral to the Temporary Worker Initiative is the Recordkeeping Bulletin, a resource for temporary workers to help identify who among their employers is responsible for reporting workplace injuries. Temporary workers are often hired by staffing agencies and sent to their clients, which are host employers. If a temporary worker is injured, the host employer is expected to record it and the staffing agency is expected to be aware of it.

“The Recordkeeping Bulletin is the first of many materials we are releasing and helps clarify which employers are responsible for reporting injuries and illnesses,” said the Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA. “These materials will provide valuable information for both host employers and staffing agencies on how they can work together to make sure their workers are properly trained and protected.”

Columbus Workers Compensation Attorneys That Handle Whistleblower Cases

If you are a temporary worker and you have suffered due to unreported workplace injuries, our Columbus workers compensation attorneys can help. We have been a national resource for injured and underrepresented workers since 1929, so let us help you hold your employer accountable for their actions. To talk to one of our Columbus workers compensation lawyers, contact us at (614) 221-7548.

Did You Know: In 2011, 1 in 4 temporary worker fatalities occurred on a government project, according to OSHA.

Larrimer & Larrimer, LLC—Columbus Workers Comp Attorneys