How Long Do Most Temp Contracts Last?

You can contract for a temporary worker to help out at your company for a day or a week or months at a time. There really is no set time limit — just a mental limit to how long a temp can be a temp.

While some temps enjoy the satisfaction and security of working for one employer for weeks or months at a time it usually is not a good idea to employ temporary workers for so long that they begin to feel like full-time employees. Once your company goes beyond making the temp feel like a member of the team and begins making employee-type demands on the temp, the temp should, by law, become an employee and be entitled to all the benefits that an employee of your company receives. Using temps long-term to get work done without having to pay benefits such as health insurance and stock options is a no-no. This view has been backed repeatedly by the IRS and recently by the Department of Justice.

To avoid any confusion, a lot of temp agencies and companies who regularly use temps set a limit to the length of temporary contracts. These limits range from six months to 18 months. Most employment lawyers advise erring on the short side to avoid any conflicts.