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Staffing Services - Labour

Industry Code: 86911

Compulsory

Employers in this industry are engaged in the provision of short-term, temporary or project-based staff to third party clients who require physical or manual labour related services to cover off during holidays, illness, maternity leave, times of increased workloads and other anticipated or unexpected demands. Periodically, placements may be extended, such that the placement will broaden to lengthy intervals, perhaps beyond a year or more.

Operation Details:

The workers supplied are retained on the payroll of the staffing service, although they are under the direction and control of the client. The staffing company charges the contracting client a labour rate along with an administrative fee to cover all costs and to provide for a measure of profit.

The types of activities underwritten here will include occupations and job titles that are consistent with physical or manual labour and generally conducted in or on a site other than an office space located within an office building. This will include, but is not limited to: warehouse/stock and shipping/receiving, swampers, sorting and packaging, cooks/chefs, caterers/kitchen help, construction and trade helpers, maintenance work, painting, site clean-up, wood cutting, fence builders, etc.

Companies providing fire fighters, without supplying the fire truck or other firefighting equipment, are providing a labour only service and as such will be classified in this industry.

A staffing service that places a specific occupation will remain classified as a staffing service in the appropriate staffing service category and will not be eligible for an additional industry. Any organization that offers specialized staffing services to a specific industry and operates as a staffing service, as described above, will be classified in either Industry 86906 - Staffing Services – Clerical/Professional or Industry 86911 - Staffing Services – Labour, whichever is most appropriate.

Work conducted from an on-site administration or operations office located on any commercial, industrial, oilfield, mining, construction job site, etc. from within an industrial trailer, or some other mobile facility, will be classified in this industry. This will include, but is not restricted to management, procurement, materials acquisition, engineering, etc. and may involve inspection, coordination, quality assurance, etc.

The supply of medical personnel, as an industry, came under the Act in 1986. This industry includes the exclusive placement of emergency medical technicians, nurses, doctors, etc. for on-site emergency medical attention. In addition, a general staffing service agency that supplies medical personnel, as described above will also be classified in this industry. A separate classification is not allowed.

All employers in this industry are members of the Alberta Construction Safety Association (ACSA). Safety associations represent the interests of employers and promote workplace safety through education and other initiatives. Improved workplace safety can result in fewer claims and help lower premiums. A portion of premiums collected is allocated to the association to support these initiatives.

Underwriting Considerations:

Taking into consideration the intent established here, occupations that require the use of safety equipment, power tools or work in confined or elevated spaces, or work with volatile products, have a high level of physical labour and/or must wear specialized clothing are included in this industry. For example:

· apron (meat cutter, cook, welder)
· smock (technical/medical)
· coveralls (mechanic, tradesman)
· steel toed boots, goggles/gloves (construction and/or warehouse worker)

All these criteria taken together will identify the work site, tools, equipment, etc. and the level of risk involved. This information will provide a clear indication of the appropriate industry to allocate assessable earnings.

A staffing service that places a specific occupation will remain classified as a staffing service in the appropriate staffing service category and will not be eligible for an additional industry. Any organization that offers specialized staffing services to a specific industry and operates as a staffing service, as described above, will be classified in either Industry 86906 - Staffing Services - Clerical/Professional or Industry 86911 - Staffing Services – Labour, whichever is most appropriate.

If a company offers both fire fighters and health/emergency personnel to sites, the entire operation will be classified in Industry 86911 – Staffing Services – Labour.

Any engineering firm that undertakes project management services involving on-site activities such as administration, contracting, scheduling, hiring services, etc. will require an additional classification in Industry 40400 - Industrial/Commercial Construction for this undertaking. A staffing service that places engineers for the purposes noted above will assign their assessable earnings to Industry 86911 and an additional classification of engineering is not allowed.

Engineers placed by a staffing service for evaluating, drafting and designing, preparing plans for construction, and any work or process that requires the professional application of mathematics, chemistry and physics will allocate these assessable earnings to Industry 86906 - Staffing Services - Clerical/Professional.

Businesses which supply emergency medical technicians, nurses, doctors, etc. as a stand-alone business, and not for on site emergency medical attention are classified in Industry 82710 – Health Care Services - Other Providers.

Personnel recruitment agencies are paid a fee by clients looking for a qualified candidate for a specific position. They advertise, recruit, interview, test and otherwise confirm an applicant meets the requirements as set out by their client. Only those applicants who meet the criteria will be referred to the client for possible employment. A staffing service agency classified in Industry 86911 - Staffing Services – Labour or Industry 86906 - Staffing Services - Clerical/Professional, that also offers personnel recruitment services, as described in this document, will have their entire operations classified in their existing staffing service industry. An additional industry classification is not allowed.

An agency that exclusively offers personnel recruitment services as a stand-alone and independent operation should be assigned Industry 86920 - Personnel Recruitment Agencies on an optional basis. (Please consult the Underwriting Unit).

Professional employer organizations (PEO) provide administrative services relating to human resource management, payroll, workers’ compensation claims management, employee benefits, etc. under a detailed contractual arrangement. This service is offered primarily to small and medium-sized businesses to allow them to concentrate on their core business functions.

Staffing service agencies may enter into PEO contracts as noted above. While the PEO offers a payroll service, among other things, the workers of the client remain as workers of the client for WCB purposes.

A staffing service agency that offers personnel recruitment or PEO services to their clients is not eligible for a separate industry classification for these services. Their entire operations will remain classified as a staffing service.

Premium Rate History:

Activities:

Labour Staffing Services
Staffing Services, Labour

Rate Group History:

Effective January 1, 1976, Staffing Services came under the Act on a compulsory basis. This industry was placed in its own Rate Group effective January 1, 2005.

Employers in this industry are engaged in the provision of short-term, temporary or project-based staff to third party clients who require physical or manual labour related services to cover off during holidays, illness, maternity leave, times of increased workloads and other anticipated or unexpected demands. Periodically, placements may be extended, such that the placement will broaden to lengthy intervals, perhaps beyond a year or more.

Premium Rate History:

Activities:

Labour Staffing Services
Staffing Services, Labour

Operation Details:

The workers supplied are retained on the payroll of the staffing service, although they are under the direction and control of the client. The staffing company charges the contracting client a labour rate along with an administrative fee to cover all costs and to provide for a measure of profit.

The types of activities underwritten here will include occupations and job titles that are consistent with physical or manual labour and generally conducted in or on a site other than an office space located within an office building. This will include, but is not limited to: warehouse/stock and shipping/receiving, swampers, sorting and packaging, cooks/chefs, caterers/kitchen help, construction and trade helpers, maintenance work, painting, site clean-up, wood cutting, fence builders, etc.

Companies providing fire fighters, without supplying the fire truck or other firefighting equipment, are providing a labour only service and as such will be classified in this industry.

A staffing service that places a specific occupation will remain classified as a staffing service in the appropriate staffing service category and will not be eligible for an additional industry. Any organization that offers specialized staffing services to a specific industry and operates as a staffing service, as described above, will be classified in either Industry 86906 - Staffing Services – Clerical/Professional or Industry 86911 - Staffing Services – Labour, whichever is most appropriate.

Work conducted from an on-site administration or operations office located on any commercial, industrial, oilfield, mining, construction job site, etc. from within an industrial trailer, or some other mobile facility, will be classified in this industry. This will include, but is not restricted to management, procurement, materials acquisition, engineering, etc. and may involve inspection, coordination, quality assurance, etc.

The supply of medical personnel, as an industry, came under the Act in 1986. This industry includes the exclusive placement of emergency medical technicians, nurses, doctors, etc. for on-site emergency medical attention. In addition, a general staffing service agency that supplies medical personnel, as described above will also be classified in this industry. A separate classification is not allowed.

All employers in this industry are members of the Alberta Construction Safety Association (ACSA). Safety associations represent the interests of employers and promote workplace safety through education and other initiatives. Improved workplace safety can result in fewer claims and help lower premiums. A portion of premiums collected is allocated to the association to support these initiatives.

Underwriting Considerations:

Taking into consideration the intent established here, occupations that require the use of safety equipment, power tools or work in confined or elevated spaces, or work with volatile products, have a high level of physical labour and/or must wear specialized clothing are included in this industry. For example:

· apron (meat cutter, cook, welder)
· smock (technical/medical)
· coveralls (mechanic, tradesman)
· steel toed boots, goggles/gloves (construction and/or warehouse worker)

All these criteria taken together will identify the work site, tools, equipment, etc. and the level of risk involved. This information will provide a clear indication of the appropriate industry to allocate assessable earnings.

A staffing service that places a specific occupation will remain classified as a staffing service in the appropriate staffing service category and will not be eligible for an additional industry. Any organization that offers specialized staffing services to a specific industry and operates as a staffing service, as described above, will be classified in either Industry 86906 - Staffing Services - Clerical/Professional or Industry 86911 - Staffing Services – Labour, whichever is most appropriate.

If a company offers both fire fighters and health/emergency personnel to sites, the entire operation will be classified in Industry 86911 – Staffing Services – Labour.

Any engineering firm that undertakes project management services involving on-site activities such as administration, contracting, scheduling, hiring services, etc. will require an additional classification in Industry 40400 - Industrial/Commercial Construction for this undertaking. A staffing service that places engineers for the purposes noted above will assign their assessable earnings to Industry 86911 and an additional classification of engineering is not allowed.

Engineers placed by a staffing service for evaluating, drafting and designing, preparing plans for construction, and any work or process that requires the professional application of mathematics, chemistry and physics will allocate these assessable earnings to Industry 86906 - Staffing Services - Clerical/Professional.

Businesses which supply emergency medical technicians, nurses, doctors, etc. as a stand-alone business, and not for on site emergency medical attention are classified in Industry 82710 – Health Care Services - Other Providers.

Personnel recruitment agencies are paid a fee by clients looking for a qualified candidate for a specific position. They advertise, recruit, interview, test and otherwise confirm an applicant meets the requirements as set out by their client. Only those applicants who meet the criteria will be referred to the client for possible employment. A staffing service agency classified in Industry 86911 - Staffing Services – Labour or Industry 86906 - Staffing Services - Clerical/Professional, that also offers personnel recruitment services, as described in this document, will have their entire operations classified in their existing staffing service industry. An additional industry classification is not allowed.

An agency that exclusively offers personnel recruitment services as a stand-alone and independent operation should be assigned Industry 86920 - Personnel Recruitment Agencies on an optional basis. (Please consult the Underwriting Unit).

Professional employer organizations (PEO) provide administrative services relating to human resource management, payroll, workers’ compensation claims management, employee benefits, etc. under a detailed contractual arrangement. This service is offered primarily to small and medium-sized businesses to allow them to concentrate on their core business functions.

Staffing service agencies may enter into PEO contracts as noted above. While the PEO offers a payroll service, among other things, the workers of the client remain as workers of the client for WCB purposes.

A staffing service agency that offers personnel recruitment or PEO services to their clients is not eligible for a separate industry classification for these services. Their entire operations will remain classified as a staffing service.

Rate Group History:

Effective January 1, 1976, Staffing Services came under the Act on a compulsory basis. This industry was placed in its own Rate Group effective January 1, 2005.