Are Temporary Employees considered Employees from a Procedural Standpoint?

ScottK

Not out of the crisis
Leader
Super Moderator
Let's say I have an SOP that requires employees to wear gloves while doing a paticular job.

I then hire some temps to beef up for a big order.

I train them in the procedue, but a picky auditor says "they are not your employees, they are employees of the temp agency".

I respond - if they are doing work inside my plant they are considered employees and are trained as such.
 

Jim Wynne

Leader
Admin
Re: From a procedural standpoint are temps considered employees?

Let's say I have an SOP that requires employees to wear gloves while doing a paticular job.

I then hire some temps to beef up for a big order.

I train them in the procedue, but a picky auditor says "they are not your employees, they are employees of the temp agency".

I respond - if they are doing work inside my plant they are considered employees and are trained as such.

What would the point of the auditor be? That it's OK for the people to do the work but not to wear gloves? :confused:

As far as what constitutes an "employee," that's for your company to decide. If an auditor did have a problem with contractors/temps being considered as employees in the scope of process documentation, what could she cite as the requirement being violated?
 
D

db

Re: From a procedural standpoint are temps considered employees?

I just had a similar conversation with one of my clients this morning about a very similar thing. I know this is not in an ISO thread, but I think ISO has a lot to say about this. In 6.2.2 in ISO 9001 the talk about “personnel” as opposed to “employee. ISO 14001 refers to “person(s) performing tasks for it on its behalf”. Whether we are talking about quality, safety, environmental or any other situation, the important thing is not who pays them, or if they are full-time or part-time, it is how they contribute to achieving the organizational goals. In your case, I would expect the temporary employees to be wearing gloves (for their protection, or protection of the product) just as if they were regular employees.
 

Stijloor

Leader
Super Moderator
Re: From a procedural standpoint are temps considered employees?

Let's say I have an SOP that requires employees to wear gloves while doing a particular job.

I then hire some temps to beef up for a big order.

I train them in the procedure, but a picky auditor says "they are not your employees, they are employees of the temp agency".

I respond - if they are doing work inside my plant they are considered employees and are trained as such.

Scott,

To remove all doubt, ISO/TS 16949 has an interesting clause:

6.2.2.3 Training on the job

The organization shall provide on-the-job training for personnel in any new or modified job affecting product quality, including contract or agency personnel. Personnel whose work can affect quality shall be informed about the consequences to the customer of nonconformity to quality requirements.

I do not know if there are other sector-specific standards that have the same requirement, but it is interesting nevertheless...

Stijloor.
 
S

Sturmkind

Re: From a procedural standpoint are temps considered employees?

Any employee doing work needs to have demonstrable evidence that they are appropriately skilled and trained.

Training records should reflect their understanding of the PASS/FAIL requirements, quality requirements, and use of Personal Protective Equipment as well as any Class A surface anti-mutilation and environmental requirements regardless of whether they are contract, temps, permanent, or office support personnel.

We have sign-in checklists for PPE and anti-mutilation as well as 14001 understanding at our front reception desk.

Hope this helps.
 
Re: From a procedural standpoint are temps considered employees?

I train them in the procedure, but a picky auditor says "they are not your employees, they are employees of the temp agency".

I respond - if they are doing work inside my plant they are considered employees and are trained as such.
You need a new auditor. Every single auditor I have ever dealt with looked at part-time and temporary employees with more scrutiny than full-time staff because it's an easy "lack of training" finding. Since there are no specific definitions for personnel in ISO/TS Section 6, I re-read the 9004 Guidelines. Seems like you'd train anyone who came through the door who was going to do work that would affect the implementation and maintenance of your quality system or affect conformity to product requirements.

I would expect my DNV auditor to write a non-conformance in a heartbeat if my 6.4 work environment procedures required gloves to protect either employees or product and there was anyone not wearing them.
 

Sidney Vianna

Post Responsibly
Leader
Admin
Re: From a procedural standpoint are temps considered employees?

Let's say I have an SOP that requires employees to wear gloves while doing a paticular job.

I then hire some temps to beef up for a big order.

I train them in the procedue, but a picky auditor says "they are not your employees, they are employees of the temp agency".

I respond - if they are doing work inside my plant they are considered employees and are trained as such.
Just when you need another objective evidence for the existence of moronic auditors out there....A few weeks ago, I suggested that auditor candidates should be assessed for their IQ. It would be a great preventive action for CB's.

Let me guess: this individual is highly opinionated....:tg:
 

Randy

Super Moderator
Re: From a procedural standpoint are temps considered employees?

If they get seriously injured or killed in your workplace as far as OSHA is concerned they are yours. In a 9001 based QMS 6.2.1 and 6.2.2 refer to "personnel...", so yeah they would be considered employees needing to meet the same competencies and all that...What their paycheck says and what their benefits are a totally different matter and out of scope anyway. They are "your" employees in this case.
 

Jen Kirley

Quality and Auditing Expert
Leader
Admin
Re: From a procedural standpoint are temps considered employees?

I am interested in this auditor, as I am 100% certain an OSHA representative, if looking at this issue, would insist contract employees receive the same regulated training and PPE as regular employees. This kind of mistake is too elementary. Sorry to pass judgment so far away, but... :eek:
 
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Randy

Super Moderator
Re: From a procedural standpoint are temps considered employees?

I am interested in this auditor, as I am 100% certain an OSHA would insist contract employees receive the same regulated training and PPE as regular employees.

I can guarantee it because it has already been litigated that way more than once.
 
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