By using contingent (or temporary) workers, employers can gain scheduling flexibility, alleviate overloads, accommodate one-time projects, and prevent a succession of expensive hires and traumatic layoffs. In addition, employers may reduce labor costs through lower hourly wages and the absence of benefit payments. Contingent workers include those who are hired through staffing firms, who are independent contractors, who work less than full-time, or whose jobs are structured to last only a limited length of time. Some of the same federal laws that apply to long-term employees, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), also apply to certain contingent workers.
