In some situations, courts have interpreted employee handbooks as creating either express or implied contracts, particularly if they contain provisions that could legally and reasonably suggest that the employer and the employee intended to bind each other by the handbook’s contents. Do you know how to comply with human resource-related policies and protect your company?

A session at the upcoming ASA Staffing Law & Compliance Conference will deliver best practices and legal compliance strategies for employee policies and handbooks. “Employee Handbooks and HR Policies for Staffing Firms: What’s New, What’s Harmful, and What’s Missing,” presented by Deborah R. Pierce, Esq., SPHR, of Integrity Staffing Solutions and Evan M. Rosen, Esq., of Jackson Lewis PC, will look at how to customize your policies for the unique intricacies of the staffing business. Come away with the “must-have” language; learn which clauses to include or change; decide whether you should have separate handbooks for temporary workers and corporate employees; and adopt critical staffing-specific policies. This session will also cover recent changes to state and local laws and how national or regional staffing companies should address the myriad laws that must now be addressed in company policies and employee handbooks.

The 2024 ASA Staffing Law & Compliance Conference is not just for lawyers—programming is designed for staffing firm owners and executives, human resource professionals, compliance managers, recruiters, and attorneys. It takes place May 16–17 at the Westin Washington, DC, Downtown in Washington, DC. Visit staffinglawconference.net to register at the best rates available.

The Weekly Economic & Business Outlook—or WEBO—is a new resource from ASA that goes out to member email boxes every Tuesday morning. This powerful and targeted data and analysis tool features weekly analysis designed to deliver the data-driven intelligence and forward-looking business acumen ASA members need to track trends and capitalize on opportunities.

ASA researchers examine trends within the staffing industry, as well as developments within the broader economy, and then deliver succinct takeaways that can help drive strategic business decisions. Make sure you receive ASA research emails, including the weekly WEBO, by clicking the “Unsubscribe/Manage Email Preferences” link at the bottom of this email and opting in to research content—and be sure to allow emails from research@americanstaffing.net so you don’t miss this valuable new member benefit.

As state legislatures across the country continue to introduce legislation that could have negative repercussions for the staffing industry, ASA member political involvement is more important than ever.

Members can be especially effective in helping to shape legislation by developing personal constituent relationships with lawmakers at the grassroots level—i.e., in their local communities. Leveraging members’ knowledge and standing in their communities will help make ASA advocacy efforts more effective.

For that reason, ASA has released a new resource to help fuel advocacy efforts—the ASA Guide to Grassroots Advocacy, which is a “grassroots 101” launching pad for anyone and everyone who wants to get involved in advocating for the staffing industry.

The guide provides practical tips on how to effectively interact with policymakers so they understand what staffing firms do—and why it should matter to them and the people they represent. It also explains such things as who are the key policymakers to meet with, when is the best time and place to meet with them, how to structure messages, and what to expect during meetings.

That guide is part of the new ASA Grassroots Tool Kit, which is now available online. You can download the Grassroots Advocacy Guide and share it with your peers, access background information that can help fuel your advocacy efforts at a local level, and more.

Learn more about the tools available and about what’s ahead for the industry at the ASA Staffing Law & Compliance Conference in the session “A (Scary) New Frontier: Tough Legislation Trends Impacting Staffing—And How to Prevent Bad Things From Happening in Your State.” The conference takes place May 16–17 at the Westin Washington, DC, Downtown in Washington, DC. Visit staffinglawconference.net to register.

Your membership in the American Staffing Association will expire March 31. This will be your last issue of the Staffing Today newsletter if you don’t renew your ASA membership today.

After March 31, your company will no longer have access to this newsletter or to

• Powerful networking and training—including free webinars and networking calls on timely industry topics, and access to ASA Central
• Valuable legal resources—including detailed legal and regulatory information, issue papers, legal and legislative alerts, and Legal Line videos
• Exclusive industry research and data—including the Weekly Economic & Business Outlook, survey reports, and analysis
• Special member savings—including discounted rates for the ASA Staffing Law & Compliance Conference, THRIVE, Staffing World^®, and more.

These tools and resources give your company a measurable advantage in the marketplace. Why forfeit your advantage? Renew at americanstaffing.net/renew or call 703-253-2020.

The artificial intelligence revolution is leaving employers searching for workers with the skills needed to support technological advances in the workplace, according to a new study of senior executives from Fortune 2000 companies by the World Employment Confederation/FT Longitude.

According to the “The Work We Want” study of hundreds of senior executives from Fortune 2000 companies, 81% of business leaders believe that AI and other tech disruptions will force organizations to radically rethink skills and human resources in their workforce—and 78% of those same executives are concerned that they will be unable to train employees fast enough to keep pace with tech developments in the next three years.

“AI and automation are rapidly changing all of our lives, and employers and employees are struggling to keep up,” said Richard Wahlquist, chief executive officer at the American Staffing Association. “The staffing industry is committed to helping to meet the global upskilling challenge and imperative head on in the U.S. and around the world.”

“The Work We Want is a conversation starter for governments, employers, and workers to address our new work reality and find solutions—collectively—to deliver better labor market outcomes for all,” said Denis Pennel, the managing director of the World Employment Confederation.

At the ASA Staffing Law & Compliance Conference, attorneys have the opportunity to earn continuing legal education accreditation credit for several states, including California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia. The two-day event—featuring sessions for staffing firm owners and executives, human resource professionals, compliance managers, recruiters, and attorneys—takes place May 16–17 at the Westin Washington, DC, Downtown in Washington, DC.

ASA-certified professionals can earn up to 12 continuing education hours toward maintaining their ASA credentials when they attend the ASA Staffing Law & Compliance Conference and the preconference program “Health Care Staffing: Legal and Legislative Updates.” Review the session descriptions online and visit staffinglawconference.net to register at the best rate available.

Gain national recognition for your company—and leverage that recognition to differentiate your firm in your most competitive markets—by participating in the American Staffing Association’s prestigious professional recognition programs. ASA is now accepting applications for the ASA Elevate Awards and National Staffing Employee of the Year. The deadline for applications is May 1.

• The ASA Elevate Awards recognize outstanding, innovative, and effective work-based learning programs that train, reskill, and upskill temporary and contract talent.
• The National Staffing Employee of the Year and Sector All-Stars program honors individuals nominated by ASA member companies who best exemplify one or more of the staffing industry’s key messages—bridge and flexibility—as well as employees who used staffing to access new careers. This year, the National Staffing Employee of the Year All-Star finalists will be announced prior to the winners.

Being named as one of the best in the industry is a valuable tool your company can use to sell to clients and engage with talent. To learn more and submit a nomination, visit americanstaffing.net/awards.

Staffing employment held steady during the week of March 11‐17, with the ASA Staffing Index holding a rounded value of 90. Staffing jobs were down 8.4% from the same period last year. Staffing companies mentioned no one primary factor that limited further growth.

New starts, however, in the 11th week of the year decreased by 8.3% from the prior week. Nearly one-third of all staffing companies (32%) reported gains in new assignments week to week.

The ASA Staffing Index four-week moving average edged up from the prior week to hold at a rounded value of 90, and temporary and contract staffing employment for the four weeks ending March 17 was 8.8% lower than the same period in 2023.

“Staffing employment did not realize a much-anticipated resurgence in growth at the beginning of 2024. Whether the industry has settled into a new postpandemic equilibrium remains an open question, but current trends affirm that staffing companies must be more proactive about seeking opportunities amid reduced labor market churn,” said Noah Yosif, chief economist at ASA. “Staffing companies, like businesses in many other segments of the economy, are simply weathering the storm as economic conditions remain tight while demand among clients and talent wanes.”

This week will be used in the March monthly employment situation report scheduled to be issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics April 5.

A session at the ASA Staffing Law & Compliance Conference will help staffing firms prepare for state legislation that would uniquely affect staffing firms.

The session “A (Scary) New Frontier: Tough Legislation Trends Impacting Staffing—And How to Prevent Bad Things From Happening in Your State,” presented by Marianela Peralta, Esq., of Aerotek Inc. and Andrew Scroggins, Esq., of Seyfarth Shaw LLP with ASA vice president of government affairs Toby Malara, Esq., will address state laws aimed at the staffing industry—including mandated equal pay and benefits for temporary workers, staffing-specific registration and licensing obligations, pay transparency requirements in job ads, and more. Learn the latest in the states where you do business and compliance strategies for each. Plus, take home a “Grassroots 101” resource developed by the ASA legal team so you can be part of the solution.

The 2024 ASA Staffing Law & Compliance Conference is not just for lawyers—programming is designed for staffing firm owners and executives, human resource professionals, compliance managers, recruiters, and attorneys. It takes place May 16–17 at the Westin Washington, DC, Downtown in Washington, DC. Visit staffinglawconference.net to register at the best rates available.

Renamed to better reflect its important focus on compliance and related human resource content, the ASA Staffing Law & Compliance Conference (formerly the Staffing Law Conference) takes place May 16–17 at the Westin Washington, DC, Downtown in Washington, DC. Subject matter experts will discuss the industry’s most pressing topics—including artificial intelligence, contract negotiations, legislation aimed at the staffing industry, and more.

Wondering who you’ll see there? Session presenters include attorneys Sarah Kroll-Rosenbaum of Akerman LLP; Gerald L. Maatman Jr. of Duane Morris LLP; and Jason B. Klimpl of Tannenbaum Helpern Syracuse & Hirschtritt LLP; industry leaders Vanessa P. Williams of Kelly; Sirmara J. Campbell of LaSalle Network; and Joanna Monroe of Staffing GC; and members of the ASA legal and public affairs team, among others.

Visit staffinglawconference.net to find out who’s presenting, learn about the scheduled sessions, make your travel plans, register.