Temporary workers in Minnesota are those hired by a temporary employment agency before being assigned to clients to address their special labor needs or projects. Both the agency that hires the employee and the employer where the employee performs work are responsible for providing worker’s compensation coverage for that individual. The two employers can choose to reach an agreement in which one is solely responsible for providing insurance that adequately covers the employee. In cases where both employers have insurance on the employee, the employer where the person was performing work is the first insurance policy that is looked at for benefits payments.
A Safe Work Environment for All Workers
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations mandate that both employers are responsible for providing a healthy and safe work environment. It is imperative that the employee receives sufficient training to ensure that job duties can be performed safely. Depending on the circumstances, this training could be the responsibility of either the temporary agency or the employer where the employee is assigned to work.
Compliance with this regulation requires frequent contact between both entities and an awareness by the temporary agency of the conditions in place at the employer. Standards at the employer should meet or exceed those at the temporary agency.
Knowledge of basic safety and health hazards and those specific that are to a particular industry are crucial to determining if an assignment is a good fit for a particular employee. The employee must receive the same caliber of safety training that an employer’s regular employees receive when performing work that is the same or similar.