I got offered a job by a great company here in Austin today. However, the first 90 days are "contract" through Adecco with a guarantee to hire after that. (I'm told it's because of internal red tape within the company.)

Has anyone ever done temp work through a company like Adecco? What can I expect in those 90 days? Insurance, holidays, vacation, etc?

I used to work for one of Adecco's competitors (Aerotek). I placed a number of people on even longer temp-perm/contract-perm, and most enjoyed the experience. Our standard was 9 months - direct.

Keep in mind that Texas is an employment-at-will state and you can be hired/removed from your position for all the same reasons regardless of hire status.

In regards to the guarantee - take that with a grain of salt. Not to say you won't be offered the job, just do your part in communicating with your "on-site" manager and your point of contact at Adecco. Ensure they both know you want to become a permanent member of the company about 1-2 months before the contract is scheduled to end. (same goes if you find out you hate the place)

Rolling to a direct employee is an easy process... if the company you're hiring on with makes it an easy one. They have to do their part to file the paperwork with their HR, Adecco, etc. Typical turn around time can be anywhere from 1 day - 1 month.

As far as benefits, etc.: Adecco should CLEARLY explain what, if any, benefits you are ELIGIBLE to receive during your contract with them. Take it upon yourself to gather info regarding the corporate policies, etc. once you've been there a short while and you should be set.

All in all, it can be a great experience. Keep your head down, work hard, and everything should turn out fine.

*insight in to why they're having you go temp-perm: a lot of companies like the idea of "trial hires" to gauge aptitude, performance, personality quirks, etc. prior to investing in a full-time hire. There's nothing wrong with the practice so long as there isn't any misrepresentation of your capabilities, the company culture, etc.

Best of luck!

[This message has been edited by bkag9824 (edited 5/24/2011 7:22p).]

bkag....that's exactly what this company is doing with the temp-to-hire. They want to make sure I'm a good "fit". They said as of yet, they've never had a temp person that has NOT been hired full time at the end of their 90 days. They said as long as I don't completely suck at my job, there's no reason I won't go permanent. I'm fairly confident I won't suck. :-)

Just wondering what I can expect in those first 90 days. I'm assuming that's not long enough to accrue any kind of vacation time (I'm not even sure you can accrue that). Also just wondering the benefits of sticking with Cobra for insurance, versus insurance through the temp agency. I just don't want a lapse in coverage. I realize Cobra will be expensive, but it looks like the coverage at Adecco won't start until you work 110 hours in a single calendar month. So either way, I'd have to get Cobra for at least one month.

And if the company I'm working for has a holiday (let's say, 4th of July), does the temp agency also give you that day as a holiday with pay?

And it sounds like you log your hours worked online every week?

Vacation: you're most likely not going to accrue any vacation during that time. My current employer didn't let me start accruing any until I was employed for 90 days...

Health Insurance: Are you currently unemployed? Why would you need to go with Cobra? There are plenty of highly competitive private health insurance options that may be better than Cobra. A lot of staffing agencies will offer benefits, they're just expensive and not the best. If you have a family you may look at jumping on your spouse's insurance for the time being. If you're single... look at the cost of Cobra, private health insurance (get a few quotes obviously), and the benefits offered (if any) by Adecco.

Pretty much every person I placed had the same concerns, and every single one of them were able to continue insurance coverage one way or another with no lapses.

Holidays are tricky, you need to clarify that with Adecco. You're an employee of Adecco if you don't fill out a 1099, so all holidays need to be specified in your employment offer/paperwork. The hiring coordinator or contractor benefits person should explain ALL of this in DETAIL. If you don't understand something, and they don't have the answer: don't sign anything until you have the question answered.

If, for any reason, you don't feel comfortable moving forward, you have the right to request further explanation prior to signing any documents.

Logging time: Every company is different. Some companies have it arranged where you submit an Excel spreadsheet with your manager's signature. Some have you log it online with manager's approval... Without sounding redundant, it's another item that should be clearly explained at the time of hire.

It is important to remember that you may be considered salaried, hourly, or hourly-exempt, etc. Make sure you know whether or not you'll be eligible for paid OT, if so - at what rate?

Get the drift? Just ask plenty of questions and they should take care of you. I understand it's a leap of faith for those who are already "permanent" employees, but these situations typically work out for the best.

*** not to dig at Adecco, but your recruiter should have covered most of this already. I would call them up and inquire about the vacation/holiday/OT, etc. prior to accepting. Once you're in the office to sign paperwork you really don't want to have to review the specifics of your employment status. Signing the offer letter/paperwork should be just that... signing. They will obviously have some procedural info to cover but you should receive/review all this info prior to accepting the job. They should explain the vast bulk of your employment particulars before accepting your... umm... acceptance.

Remeber - Adecco doesn't get paid unless YOU get paid.

[This message has been edited by bkag9824 (edited 5/24/2011 8:04p).]

great info