As global competition and technological change progressively require more worker specialization and just-in-time delivery of highly specialized talent, the pressure on businesses to engage consultants on an independent or “gig” basis continues to grow, especially for high-end, knowledge-based consultants. And while some independent contractors would prefer to be employees, surveys suggest independents are the most […]
With a record-low unemployment rate and a continued skills shortage, US employers are having to increasingly rely on the global talent pool to fill highly skilled positions. US universities and the contingent workforce have historically provided a steady pipeline of highly skilled workers to meet employers’ needs. However, since President Trump’s April 2017 Buy American […]
At the time of this writing, 33 states and the District of Columbia have legalized the medical use of marijuana, and 10 of those states plus DC have passed laws decriminalizing recreational use. This creates myriad challenges for employers, especially when facing an already-shrinking talent pool.
Complex intersection. For employers and recruiters, the issue is further […]
Companies use temporary staffing support for a variety of reasons, whether it’s scaling their skilled and unskilled workforce or recruiting top talent with niche skill sets. Temporary workers often work for unspecified durations dictated by the business needs of the staffing client, but sometimes clients choose to convert a temporary assignment into a traditional employee […]
A federal judge in December 2018 held that an executive recruiter was not responsible for an employer’s decision to eliminate a female candidate from consideration — allegedly because of gender discrimination. Thus, the court ended a lawsuit against executive recruiting firm SSI Inc. and two of its former employees.
Ileana Simplicean was recruited by SSI to […]
Many staffing firms have experienced financial abuses inflicted on them by clients or VMS/MSP agents. Originally lifted from traditional purchasing contracts, these ideas are now widespread in staffing deals. The following are some of the worst financial abuses that you may encounter, along with nutshell summaries of how to fix them.
Stale invoice forfeitures. This clause […]
New compliance requirements are often heralded as the dawn of a new era in which end clients would flock to the largest staffing companies because of their economies of scale and better compliance processes.
But when the dust settles, market newcomers end up outperforming their larger peers. Have users turned a blind eye to the new […]
About a year ago, the #MeToo movement hit, and it’s still rare to turn on the television or pick up a newspaper without hearing or reading a segment on a high-profile professional accused of sexual harassment. As a result, states have begun to review and overhaul their related laws. Staffing firms across the country, and […]
Nationwide, there are many protections for “whistleblowers” — individuals who report improper or unlawful practices within a company or to outside organizations, courts or government agencies — to ensure that these whistleblowers are not retaliated against, such as by demotion, harassment or firing. Those protections generally apply to staffing firms’ assigned workers, who usually have […]
The US Department of Justice has put all employers on notice: Agreements among competitors not to hire each other’s employees or otherwise limit wages or benefits — “anti-poaching agreements” — are not allowed. And as staffing professionals frequently engage with competitors in the normal course of business, the Department of Justice may hold staffing firms […]
