Staffing agencies must be either licensed as employment agencies or registered as placement agencies by the Department of Labor Standards in order to conduct business in the state, regardless of whether or not the agency has a physical office within state borders, in accordance with the Employment Agency Law, M.G.L. c. 140, §§46B and Regulation, 454 CMR 24.00.
On August 7, 2012, the Temporary Workers Right to Know (TWRTK) bill was signed into law . The effective date of this law, which amended Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 149, Section 159C, was January 31, 2013. DLS administers the TWRTK, while the Office of the Attorney General is the enforcing entity. DLS promulgated regulations to implement the TWRTK which further spells out the obligations of staffing agencies.
Information for staffing agencies
Link to ePLACE for Initial license and registration application
Sample Job Order Forms (in multiple languages)
Notice of Temporary Workers’ Rights under the TWRTK
Employment Agency and Temporary Workers Right to Know (TWRTK) Regulations - 454 CMR 24.00
Employment Agency Law, M.G.L. c. 140, §§46A-46R
Temporary Workers Right to Know Law (TWRTK), M.G.L. c. 149, §159C
Related links to assist Staffing Agencies
- Theatrical booking licenses are issued by the Massachusetts Department of Public Safety
- Au Pair programs are run by the U.S. Department of State
- Day Care and Group Care, Licensing and Referral is regulated by the Executive Office of Education Early Education and Care
- An Advisory from the Office of the Attorney General regarding the Independent Contractor Law in Massachusetts
- Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI)
- Workers' Compensation Insurance issues: Massachusetts Division of Industrial Accidents (DIA)
- Employer's Guide To Workers' Compensation
- Massachusetts Wage and Hours Law Poster
- Fair Employment Poster from the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD)
- State Tax Laws and Enforcement Department of Revenue (DOR)
- Guide to Employer Tax Obligations
- Department of Labor Standards Minimum wage regulation
- Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA)
- Injured Workers Guide to Workers' Compensation
- OSHA Webinar: Protecting the Safety and Health of Temporary Workers Webinar presented by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the American Staffing Association July 18, 2013 as part of OSHA’s Initiative to Protect Temporary Workers.
Who is responsible for keeping temporary workers safe?
Massachusetts Department of Public Health safety alert – temporary workers
Massachusetts Department of Public Health safety alert – temporary workers (Spanish)
Massachusetts Department of Public Health safety alert – temporary workers (Portuguese)
OSHA Webinar: Protecting the safety and health of temporary workers
Webinar presented by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the American Staffing Association July 18, 2013 as part of OSHA’s initiative to protect temporary workers.
Recommended practices for protecting temporary workers
Best practices for protecting temporary workers from NIOSH and OSHA.
OSHA: Protecting temporary workers
OSHA Bulletin: Injury and Illness Recordkeeping Requirements – Temporary Workers
Bureau of Labor Statistics preliminary data from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries shows fatal work injuries involving contractor worker fatalities, including temporary help service workers, accounted for 708 or 16% of the 4,383 fatal work injuries in the U.S. reported in 2012. Additional details are available at http://bls.gov/iif/home.htm.