[MI-IRISH]

I am trying to obtain some information on a paper i plan to write,and i am looking for information in the following area(s):How many people here have worked for a temp agency,but the most important part is what kind of enviroment did they they send you into.Did you feel unsafe in any way shape or form,and if you did feel this way,did they have you sign anything stating that area was safe for you to be in.Any input from various sources would be appreciated.

[xlabel]

I have and been sent to very unsafe places, and I don't recall signing any thing that said the place is safe. However the temp agencies will make it clear that if you feel you are asked to do something unsafe, notify the agency immedietly. I worked through an agency when I first arrived in MI earlier this year and they put me for 6 weeks on a job that required very repetative motions and now I have severe bouts with pain in the back of my arms. Interestingly enough the company would not allow it's own employees to do the task anymore than an hour or two at a time and exclusivley used temps for the task. The dilema is that what appears to be harmless while your doing the job now can cause medical problems later, but I doubt I have any kind of a case since I was only doing it 6 weeks.

[YAZ]

I've been in manufacturing since 1984, and quite frankly, I'm amazed at the caliber of workers sent to us by temp agencies. The temporary employee is usually the most unsafe part of the job.

Ya get what ya pay for when ya don't do background checks, drug screens, etc.

[MI-IRISH]

this is good,keep'em coming

[xlabel]

Originally Posted by YAZ

I've been in manufacturing since 1984, and quite frankly, I'm amazed at the caliber of workers sent to us by temp agencies. The temporary employee is usually the most unsafe part of the job.

Ya get what ya pay for when ya don't do background checks, drug screens, etc.

I don't know where your at that the temp agencies don't drug test or background check, the ones I've been to around here do a criminal record check and give you a mouth swab test and urine test. I'll agree a lot of temps aren't the sharpest knife in the drawer but I've also worked alongside heavily college educated folks or folks like myself who have specialty trades that it can take awhile to find a position open and turn to temp work out of boredom or to keep on top of the bills.

[snoopygirlmi]

My experience with temp agencies has been mixed. Some safe, some not so safe. Those that were less safe were in factories which by nature are more dangerous than doing office work. Also, it depends on the type of work/placement/location of the agency that you are looking for as well. Depending on the city/location of the agencies, you could get some really great experiences based on the companies in the area that use that agency. Also, some cater to low-end work; others specialize in high-end career positions. For a couple of years, my husband worked for a contract house before he got hired in as a network engineer. I worked for a temp agency as a secretary/clerk (on the lower end of the pay scale). All agencies are not equal.

Usually, the account manager will tell you the type of envirnoment you will be in, but sometimes what the manager is shown isn't the actual location of the job or the people you will actually be working with. They can only give you so much information. They just call w/basics about the job and if you accept the assignment then they tell you more details like dress, hours, who to report to, etc. You always have to go in a bit skeptical on your first day.

I've never had to sign anything specifically stating that the work envirnoment was safe. In one of the places I worked, I think that everyone would have lied about the envirnoment just to keep getting a paycheck because everyone knew that there were serious OSHA violations going on.

Also, I have to agree that a lot of temps are a few fries short of a happy meal; however, some temps (actually a lot of them) are college-educated and use their temp jobs to build their resume/skill base.

[MittenDweller82]

Manpower, one of the main employment agencies in Michigan does do background checks, although they employ many shady practices to keep profits high and employee wages low.....most expect you to be "on call" 24-7 for job availability even though nothing comes up months on end. Overall I would say that any temp agency is far better than Michigan Works..