Have You Unknowingly Become a Joint Employer? The Potential Perils of Using Temporary Workers in the Automotive and Manufacturing Industries

For years, companies in the automotive and manufacturing industries have utilized temporary workers as a means of supplementing their regular workforce, particularly with regard to hourly staff. One of the primary reasons behind this approach is that it allows companies to more easily adjust their workforce in response to the ebbs and flows of business that so often plague employers in the automotive and manufacturing industries. While this added flexibility serves a legitimate need, it often comes with a false sense of security that the company does not bear employment-related liability in connection with the temporary workers. Due to the fact that government agencies and the courts continue to expand the circumstances under which joint employment will be found, nothing could be farther from the truth.