Temporary staffing agencies in Massachusetts must provide day workers with such basic job information as rate of pay and job descriptions under a bill signed into law by Governor Deval Patrick on Monday.
The law, which goes into effect in January, also prohibits agencies from charging certain fees that could drive a worker’s pay below the minimum wage, including the cost of registering with the staffing agency or for performing a criminal record check. In addition, staffing agencies are required to reimburse any worker sent to a job only to find no work is available.
Comments
That was pretty brave of Governor Patrick to sign such legislation. Of course it would have been more brave if Deval Patrick actually stood up to firms like State Street Corporation as it is off-shoring 750 Boston jobs in its Fund Administration Division in a joint venture owned by Indian Nationals (SYNTEL CORP OF TROY MI.) and stopped 750 Boston residents from becoming "TEMP" workers. I Think somebody will write a book someday telling of all the bold acts of Deval Patrick and it will be entitled "Profiles in Courage".. Oh, yeah..Somebody already did!..........
New protections for temps are a step in the right direction for Massachusetts workers. The need for the bill reflects vast changes in employment since most protections for labor were adopted in the 1930s and '40s. Today, far more needs to be done to protect workers in a 21st-century economy. Abuse of temporary help, part-time workers, and independent contractors causes serious problems. These workers are often denied access to benefits and protections, such as family and medical leave, overtime, minimum wage, and unemployment insurance. With the decline in the number of workers enjoying the benefits of union contracts through collective bargaining, we are witnessing the steady erosion of all workers' rights. We need new laws that will make it easier for workers to self-organize for mutual aid and protection, and revised regulations that broaden protections to cover all employees.