The Guardian: Florida Workers with Criminal Records Trapped by Temp Agencies, Report Finds

Hundreds of thousands Floridian workers with criminal records are driven to accept jobs at temporary staffing agencies, often with lower wages and no benefits, according to a new report.

Former prisoners described feeling “disposable” after finding themselves stuck in temporary jobs, unable to obtain direct employment with companies.

The temp industry has become “the default entry point after incarceration”, Beyond the Bars, a non-profit organization advocating for workers with criminal records, said.

More than 70% of individuals coming home from prison in south Florida seek employment through a temp agency at some point within three years, according to field research published in the Temp Trap.

Some 57% of respondents were unable to find a full-time job paying the minimum wage within a year of their release.

Temp agencies and labor pools are often the only employers willing to hire workers with criminal records and provide the flexibility needed to accommodate state or county supervision, curfews, and mandatory parole or court appointments.

These agencies profit by charging an employer a fee, while assuming the worker’s compensation and other risks and liabilities. They also often charge steep placement fees that serve as barriers for temp workers being hired permanently.

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“Before I went to jail, I was a manager at Office Depot. When I came out, I couldn’t get the kind of jobs I had before,” Felix, a member of Beyond the Bars, who said received a packet listing temp agencies before they were released, told the authors of the report. “Probation required a paycheck, and I had court fees due. With better jobs closed off because of my record, I ended up at a temp and labor pool – doing construction, which I’d never done before.”

“After incarceration, I was placed as a temp on a construction site and ended up working for the same company for nine years,” said Cam. “I did the same job as direct employees, sometimes even more, but because of my record, they never offered me a permanent position. No benefits, no security – just years of labor, only to be treated like I was disposable.”

A 2022 survey of temp workers by the National Employment Law Project found 24% reported their employers engaged in some form of wage theft, 17% reported experiencing a work-related injury or illness, and 41% reported that they personally covered their own healthcare costs. In addition, 71% of temp workers reported experiencing some form of retaliation for raising workplace issues with management.

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Read the full story at theguardian.com.