Temporary work

When referring to employment, the term "temporary job" or "temporary employment" (also known as "gigs") refers to a scenario in which the working arrangement is restricted to a set amount of time depending on the requirements of the business that is hiring the worker. Temporary workers are also referred to as "contractual" workers, "seasonal" workers, "interim" workers, "casual personnel," "outsourcing" workers, and "freelance" workers. Alternatively, the term "temps" may be used. Sometimes, temporary workers with a high level of expertise (especially in the sectors of white-collar employment, such as human resources, research and development, engineering, and accounting) may refer to themselves as consultants. In these cases, the temporary professionals are highly competent. Executive-level roles, such as chief executive officer, chief information officer, chief financial officer, chief marketing officer, and chief strategy officer, are increasingly being performed by interim executives or fractional executives.

Temporary work is not the same as secondment, which is the assignment of a member of one organisation to another organisation for a temporary period of time. During a secondment, the employee typically continues to receive their salary and other employment rights from their primary organisation, but they also work closely within the other organisation to provide training and the sharing of their experience. Temporary work is not the same as secondment.

Depending on the particular circumstances, temporary employees may be hired for either full-time or part-time labour. There are rare situations in which temporary workers are eligible for benefits (like health insurance), but in most cases, a business will only provide benefits to permanent employees as a cost-cutting strategy in order to save money. There are some temporary workers that locate jobs on their own without the assistance of an employment agency. Many workers are now finding short-term employment opportunities through freelance marketplaces as a result of the rise of the Internet and the gig economy. This circumstance results in the creation of a global market for work.

Finding and retaining employees is the responsibility of a temporary labour agency, often known as a temp agency or temporary employment organisation. When other businesses have a need for employees for a limited amount of time, they will contract with a temporary labour agency. This agency will then dispatch temporary workers, often known as temps, to work at the other businesses. Temporary workers are also utilised in work that is cyclical in nature and requires regular modifications to personnel levels. This kind of job often requires frequent changes.