A study issued this September by the Stephen and Sandra Sheller Center for Social Justice and the Temple University Beasley School of Law highlights the pitfalls and problems faced by temporary workers throughout Pennsylvania. The study can be found at the following link: https://www2.law.temple.edu/csj/publication/pennsylvania-workers-in-jeopardy-the-hidden-problem-of-temporary-employment/. Coauthors, Rebecca Daily, Tracie Johnson and Holly Smith, state that companies use staffing agencies and temporary workers to distance themselves from responsibility for paying workers properly and ensuring safety.
According to the report, temporary workers are at risk for workplace injury for the following reasons:
- Temporary workers receive inadequate training because of the lack of accountability between host employers and staffing agencies.
- Temporary workers may fear reporting hazards as nonpermanent employees.
- Government enforcement is inadequate. Government enforcement is inadequate.
- Host employers shift the cost of workers’ compensation coverage onto staffing agencies, which reduces the incentive to maintain a safe workplace.
The workplace injury attorneys at Liever, Hyman & Potter, P.C., are concerned for the safety of workers in Reading, Berks County, PA, Pottsville, Schuylkill County, PA, and throughout Central and Eastern PA, including Philadelphia. The lawyers there handle workers’ compensation claims and workplace injury lawsuits, including claims for serious injuries or death caused by the negligence of others.
From the desk of Adam K. Levin, Esquire