Although the employees of this department report to work each morning at the company's plant, they are hired and paid by the staffing service. Most agencies don't provide benefits until the worker has been employed for a certain length of time-usually four to six months. Lab Support also has an optional stock purchase plan, but none of the scientific temp agencies approached by The Scientist provides anything like a retirement or pension plan. Rates of pay, however, are competitive. The highest rates are reserved for scientists hired by law firms as expert witnesses, and any scientist, even professors with full-time jobs, can request such an assignment.
Agencies charge the hiring company significant fees for their services.
As a general rule, of every dollar the agency charges its clients, it keeps 40 cents and pays the employee 60 cents. Brian Duffy likes the flexibility and steady paycheck that come with temp work. The pay rate is pretty decent. Duffy has worked at five temporary scientific jobs within the last few years. He obtained several of these through Lab Support.