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                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.13



                              EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT



         Employment Agreement ("Agreement") dated as of October 20, 1999 by and
between STAFF BUILDERS, INC., a New York corporation (the "Company"), and Sandra
Parshall who resides at 728 West Jackson Blvd., Suite 307, Chicago, Illinois
60661 ("Executive").

         WHEREAS, the Company wishes to secure the services of the Executive on
the terms and conditions set forth below; and

         WHEREAS, the Executive is willing to accept employment with the Company
on such terms and conditions.

         NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of their mutual promises and other
adequate consideration, the Company and the Executive do hereby agree as
follows:

         1.       EMPLOYMENT. The Company will employ the Executive as Senior
                  Vice President-Operations, in accordance with the terms and
                  provisions of this Agreement.

         2.       DUTIES. The Executive shall report to the Chief Operating
                  Officer of the Company and shall be responsible for the
                  management of assigned aspects of the operations of the home
                  health care business of the Company. The Executive shall
                  perform such other duties as shall be assigned to the
                  Executive by the Chief Operating Officer or such officer of
                  the Company as the board of Directors may from time-to-time
                  designate. The Executive shall devote her full business time,
                  attention and skills to the performance of her duties
                  hereunder and to the advancement of the business and interests
                  of the Company. During the time of this Agreement, the
                  Executive shall be required to base her business office at the
                  Lake Success Corporate office location. The Executive's base
                  business office shall not be changed without her prior
                  consent.

         3.       TERM. This Agreement shall be effective upon execution by the
                  Company and the Executive, and shall remain in effect until
                  February 28, 2002, unless terminated earlier pursuant to the
                  terms hereof.

         4.       COMPENSATION.

         (a)      Salary. The Executive shall be paid a salary of $204,000 per
                  annum during the term hereof, payable in weekly installments.
                  The Executive's salary will be reviewed by the Company on June
                  1, 2000 and June 1, 2001.


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         (b)      Benefits. The Executive shall be eligible to receive and
                  participate in, in accordance with their terms, all health,
                  medical or other insurance benefits which the Company provides
                  or makes available to its employees.

         (c)      Expenses. The Company shall reimburse the Executive for all
                  reasonable and necessary expenses upon submission by the
                  Executive of receipts, accounts or such other documents
                  reasonably requested by the Company.

         (d)      Car Allowance. The Company will lease a Lexus ES300 for the
                  Executive.

         (e)      Vacation. The Executive shall be entitled to three (3) weeks
                  of paid vacation during each twelve (12) month period of
                  employment during the term.

         (f)      Nothing in this Agreement is intended to cause a reduction in
                  the Executive's benefits under the Company's policy or under
                  any benefit plan in which Executive is a participant at the
                  time of the execution of this Agreement.

         5.       TERMINATION: RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS UPON TERMINATION.

         (a)      If the Executive dies during the Term, then the Executive's
                  employment under this Agreement shall terminate. In such
                  event, the Executive's estate shall be entitled only to
                  compensation and expenses accrued and unpaid as at the date of
                  the Executive's death.

         (b)      If, as a result of the Executive's incapacity due to physical
                  or mental illness, whether or not job related, the Executive
                  is absent from her duties hereunder for 90 consecutive days,
                  or an aggregate of 120 days during the Term, the Executive's
                  employment hereunder and this Agreement shall terminate. In
                  such event, the Executive shall be entitled only to
                  compensation and expenses accrued and unpaid as at the date of
                  termination of the Executive's employment.

         (c)      The Company shall have the right to terminate the Executive's
                  employment under this Agreement for Cause. For purposes of the
                  Agreement, the Company shall have "Cause" to terminate the
                  Executive's employment if (i) the Executive assigns, pledges,
                  or otherwise disposes of her rights and obligations under this
                  Agreement, or attempts to do the same without the prior
                  written consent of the Company; or (ii) the Executive has been
                  insubordinate, has materially breached any of the terms or
                  conditions hereof, has engaged in willful misconduct or has
                  acted in bad faith; or (iii) the Executive has breached
                  Section 7 of this Agreement; or (iv) the Executive has
                  committed a felony or perpetrated a fraud against the Company.
                  If the Company terminates this Agreement for Cause, the
                  Company's obligations hereunder shall cease, except for the
                  Company's obligation to pay the


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                  Executive the compensation and expenses accrued and unpaid as
                  of the date of termination in accordance with the provisions
                  hereof.

         (d)      In the event that at any time after a Change of Control (as
                  defined below) but prior to the end of twelve (12) months
                  after such Change of Control, the Executive is discharged for
                  any reason other than for Cause (as defined in (c) above) or
                  resigns for any reason (other than due to termination for
                  Cause), the Executive shall receive within thirty (30) days
                  after such discharge or resignation a lump-sum severance
                  payment equal to 2.99 times her average annual base salary.
                  For the purposes of this Section 5, "average annual base
                  salary" shall mean the average of Executive's annual income in
                  the nature of compensation payable by the Company and
                  includible in gross income over the five most recent taxable
                  years ending before the Change of Control. Anything contained
                  herein to the contrary notwithstanding, for a Change of
                  Control occurring before 2002, years considered in the base
                  period for calculating "average annual base salary" shall be
                  determined as follows:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                   Years Considered in
         Year of Change in Control           Calculating Average Base Salary
         -------------------------           -------------------------------
<S>                                        <C>
                   1999                                 1996-1998
                   2000                                 1996-1999
                   2001                                 1996-2000
</TABLE>

                  A "Change of Control" shall be deemed to occur when a person,
                  Company, partnership, association or entity (i) acquires a
                  majority of the outstanding voting securities of Tender Loving
                  Care Health Care Services, a Delaware corporation ("TLC") or
                  (ii) acquires securities bearing a majority of voting power
                  with respect to election of directors of TLC or (iii) acquires
                  all or substantially all of TLC's assets.

         (e)      Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, all
                  payments owed to the Executive upon termination of this
                  Agreement shall be subject to offset by the Company for
                  amounts owed to the Company by the Executive hereunder.

         (f)      The obligations of the Company and the Executive pursuant to
                  this Section 5 shall survive the termination of this
                  Agreement.



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         6.       NOTICES. Any written notice permitted or required under this
                  Agreement shall be deemed sufficient when hand delivered or
                  posted by certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, and
                  addressed to:

         if to Staff Builders, Inc.:

                                    1983 Marcus Avenue
                                    Lake Success, New York 11042
                                    Attention:Dale R. Clift, COO

                                       or

         if to the Executive:       Sandra Parshall
                                    728 West Jackson Boulevard, Suite 307
                                    Chicago, Illinois 60661

         Either party may, in accordance with the provisions of this Section,
give written notice of a change of address, in which event all such notices and
requests shall thereafter be given as above provided at such changed address.

         7.       CONFIDENTIALITY OBLIGATIONS; NON-COMPETITION BY EXECUTIVE.

         (a)      The Executive acknowledges that in the course of performing
                  her duties hereunder, she will be made privy to confidential
                  and proprietary information. The Executive covenants and
                  agrees that during the term of this Agreement and at any time
                  after the termination of this Agreement, she will not directly
                  or indirectly, for her own account or as an employee, officer,
                  director, partner, joint venturer, shareholder, investor, or
                  otherwise, disclose to others or use for her own benefit or
                  cause or induce others to do the same, any proprietary or
                  confidential information or trade secrets of the Company.

         (b)      The Executive agrees that, while this Agreement is in effect,
                  and for six(6) months following termination of employment, she
                  will not, within the United States (A) compete, directly or
                  indirectly for her own account or as an employee, officer,
                  director, partner, joint venturer, shareholder, investor, or
                  otherwise, with the business conducted by the Company; or (B)
                  while this Agreement is in effect and for one (1) year
                  following termination of employment directly or indirectly
                  solicit or recruit any employee of the Company to leave the
                  employ of the Company, or solicit any client or customer of
                  the Company to terminate or modify its business relationship
                  with the Company.



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         (c)      The foregoing restrictions on the Executive set forth in this
                  Section 7 shall be operative for the benefit of the Company
                  and of any business owned or controlled by the Company, or any
                  successor or assign of any of the foregoing.

         (d)      Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if the period
                  of time or the geographical area specified in this Section 7
                  should be determined to be unreasonable in a judicial
                  proceeding, then the period of time and territory of the
                  restriction shall be reduced so that this Agreement may be
                  enforced in such area and during such period of time as shall
                  be determined to be reasonable.

         (e)      The parties acknowledge that any breach of this Section 7 will
                  cause the Company irreparable harm for which there is no
                  adequate remedy at law, and as a result of this, the Company
                  shall be entitled to the issuance of an injunction,
                  restraining order or other equitable relief in favor of the
                  Company restraining Executive from committing or continuing
                  any such violation. Any right to obtain an injunction,
                  restraining order or other equitable relief hereunder shall
                  not be deemed a waiver of any right to assert any other remedy
                  the Company may have at law or equity.

         (f)      For purposes of this Section 7, the term "the Company" shall
                  refer to the Company and all of its parents, subsidiaries and
                  affiliated Companies.

         8.       JURISDICTION. The Executive and the Company consent to the
                  jurisdiction of the New York Supreme Court for a determination
                  of any disputes as to any matters whatsoever arising out of or
                  in any way connected with this Agreement and authorize the
                  service of process on the Company or Executive by registered
                  mail sent to either party at the address set forth in Section
                  6 of this Agreement.

         9.       HANDBOOK GROUP INSURANCE PROGRAM BOOKLET. The Executive
                  acknowledges receipt of the Company's Employee Handbook and
                  Group Insurance Program Booklet (together, the "Handbook").
                  The terms of the Handbook are incorporated herein by
                  reference.

         10.      BINDING EFFECT. This Agreement shall bind and inure to the
                  benefit of the Company, its successors and assigns and shall
                  inure to the benefit of, and be binding upon, the Executive,
                  her heirs, executors and legal representatives.

         11.      SEVERABILITY. The invalidity or unenforceability of any
                  provision of this Agreement shall in no way affect the
                  validity or enforceability of any other provision, or any part
                  thereof.

         12.      APPLICABLE LAW. This Agreement shall be governed by and
                  construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New
                  York.


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         13.      ENTIRE AGREEMENT. This Agreement constitutes the entire
                  agreement between the parties hereto pertaining to the subject
                  matter hereof and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous
                  agreements, understandings, negotiations, and discussions,
                  whether oral or written. of the parties.

         14.      MODIFICATION, TERMINATION OR WAIVER. This Agreement may only
                  be amended or modified by a written instrument executed by the
                  parties hereto. The failure of any party at any time to
                  require performance of any provision of this Agreement shall
                  in no manner affect the right of such party at a later time to
                  enforce the same.

         15.      INDEMNIFICATION. The Company shall indemnify and hold
                  Executive harmless from any and all damages, costs, fees and
                  expenses, including but not limited to attorneys' fees, which
                  she may incur as a result of any claim against her arising out
                  of her performance of her duties under this Agreement provided
                  that she is not found to have committed intentional
                  misconduct.

                  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company and the Executive have
executed this Employment Agreement as of the date first above written.



                                        STAFF BUILDERS, INC.



                                        By: /s/ Dale R. Clift
                                           ------------------------------------
                                            Dale R. Clift, President and Chief
                                            Operating Officer



                                        /s/ Sandra Parshall
                                        ---------------------------------------
                                        Sandra Parshall





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