Sophia is an essential worker who has been working at a Dollar Tree distribution center in Morengo, Ohio. Talking to her coworkers, she learned that the Dollar Tree distribution center pays its permanent employees $19.50 an hour! Amazing, right? For some, yes. For others, not so much.
Sophia was actually hired by Acloché, a temporary staffing agency, and only makes $15/hour. Although Sophia does the same work as permanent employees at the Dollar Tree distribution center, she makes $4.50/hour less than her permanent colleagues - that’s almost $200 less per week!
To make the unequal treatments even worse, Sophia recently learned that Dollar Tree gave Acloché a raise of $3/hr for staffing warehouse workers. Acloché is now hiring new temp workers for the Dollar Tree distribution at $18/hour - $3 more per hour than she makes! Current temp employees like Sophia were not given raises, and she’s been told by Acloché that they have no intention of matching her pay to that of new hires.
This is something that staffing agencies such as Acloché have done for decades. They hide information in regards to the markup that they charge their clients (making it almost impossible for temp workers to find out how much the temp agencies are making off of their labor). Very rarely do they provide raises even when their clients, such as Dollar Tree, have provided additional funding to them.
Why should Sophia be paid less than permanent employees and new temp workers when he does the same job?
When situations like Sophia’s arise, it shows that there is not a “labor shortage.” In fact, individuals are willing to work, but they want to be fairly compensated.
There are millions of workers like Sophia that are risking their lives in the middle of a global pandemic and a possible upcoming economic depression, yet they are being under-compensated and overlooked.
It’s time we respond and do something to end this injustice. Temp workers should be given equal pay for the equal work they provide, and staffing agencies should be transparent about their markup rates.
Do you have an experience with unequal or unjust treatment as a temporary worker? Contact us - we want to help make it right!
Disclaimer: Individuals’ names may have been changed to protect their identities.
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