Temporary Staff Appointments

Temporary Staff Position Important Information

IMPORTANT:  All external temporary agency hires MUST be coordinated through your HR Recruitment team.  Please make your HR Recruitment team your first point of contact.

Conditions for Hiring a Temporary Staff Employee

OSU temporary employees who have worked an average of four (4) or more hours per week during the most recent calendar quarter, and have a reasonable expectation of continued employment will be considered represented by the SEIU.  Reasonable expectation of ongoing employment is assumed until the temporary employee’s position is terminated. 

Temporary staff appointments must only be used for the purposes of meeting emergency, nonrecurring or short-term workload needs. Employment of a temporary worker, other than to replace a regular employee on leave, cannot exceed the equivalent of six calendar months (1,040 hours) in a twelve month period, beginning with the first day of employment.

Represented temporary employees have the same classification title and base rate of pay for the appropriate classification as regular classified employees.  All represented temporary appointments will continue to be paid on an hourly basis.

Short-Term Temporary Workload Needs

When a temporary workload need is expected to last 30 days or less, hiring units should use an external temporary employment agency to provide temporary workers for OSU. Administrative costs associated with placing a new employee on the OSU payroll for a limited period of time can be significantly higher than those associated with using a temporary employment agency.

In addition, if a position is anticipated to perform 52 paid hours of work or less in a 30 day period, the department MUST use one of the approved external temporary agencies to contract an external temporary employee.

Longer-Term Temporary Workload Needs

Temporary employees working over 52 hours in a 30 day period may be hired as OSU temporary employees OR through an external temporary agency.  OSU temporary staff are hired through a competitive process and posted to our job site for a minimum posting period of 5 business days.  If an INTERNAL candidate has been identified for placement into an OSU temporary position, a non-competitive search process may be used. 

Use of External Temporary Employment Agencies

When contracting external temporary employees the university is required to utilize the services of Oregon Forward Contractors (OFC), formerly known as a Qualified Rehabilitation Facility (QRF) in accordance with the provisions of ORS 279-835 to 279-855 and applicable Administrative Rules.

IMPORTANT:  External temporary employees may NOT drive on behalf of the university per University Policy 07‐026.  If driving is an essential function of the position, please recruit for an OSU temporary employee. 

Restrictions may apply for employees needing to work outside of Oregon when using an external agency.  Check with the agencies provided as to where they are able to provide service as appropriate.

The Temporary Employment Agency Request form should be submitted by your HR Recruitment team. Should you have questions or need assistance, contact your HR Recruitment team. 

Please do not submit a request to a temporary agency directly.  All requests must be approved by your HR Recruitment team.

Oregon Forward Contractors

There are other OFC on the DAS list, but the following agencies have been most commonly used by OSU based on their location and ability to meet our state-wide needs.

When an OFC is unable to meet our placement needs within a reasonable time period (typically 24 hours) from the date a request is submitted by the HR Recruitment team, the hiring unit may use one of the agencies below or select a supplier through solicitation. OSU has an exclusive contract with these agencies to back up our OFC when they cannot meet our needs for temporary workers.

Hourly Pay Ranges for External Temporary Employees (Effective 07/01/2024)

Position Class

Position Title

Pay Range (Hourly Rate)

TS301 Non-Teaching Professional (Other) $20.15 - $64.88

TS401

Clerical/Secretarial

$16.60 - $30.89

TS501 Technical/Paraprofessional $20.15 - $64.88
TS601 Skilled Craft $18.57 - $44.07

TS701

Custodial; Food Service; Maintenance

$16.60 - $30.89

Temporary Farm Laborers

Farm laborers may be contracted through a temporary employment agency or as OSU temporary employees (Temporary Biological Sciences Research Worker). The definition of farm laborer is: nursery employees or drivers that work on acreage or facilities devoted to the raising and harvesting of nursery and foliage plants. This involves planting, fertilizing and watering, trimming, potting and re-potting plants. Farm laborers also cultivate by hand, including hoeing and weeding – regardless of the crop task. Vineyard workers, landscaping and tree pruning/grafting are also covered under the farm labor requirements.

Contact your HR Recruitment team for assistance in hiring farm laborers. If contracting a temporary employee, OSU contracts with specific agencies to provide this type of service in the College of Ag Sciences. Your HR Recruitment team can assist you if you have needs outside of the College of Ag Sciences.

RESOURCES

Utilizing an External Temporary Employment Agency

Internal Appointee Guidelines

Temporary Staff Position Title Definitions

Temporary Position Offer Letter

Temporary Employment Agency Request form

SEIU and Oregon Public Universities Collective Bargaining Agreement

DAS Oregon Forward Program

Oregon Forward (formerly Qualified Rehabilitation Facility, or QRF)

HR Recruitment Resources

BC-HR Documents (from SharePoint)\15 Find Person to Fill Position (Recruitment)