The temporary employment services (TES) model keeps the construction engineering industry alive, providing manpower when required and relocating staff to other projects when demand for their skills decline.

There is a huge market for TES in South Africa’s construction engineering industry, owing to the short-term nature of projects resulting in the number of staff required being dependant on a project’s size and duration, says the Confederation of Associations in the Private Employment Sector (CAPES).

One of the biggest advantages of contracting staff through TES agencies is their handling of all recruitment and human resources processes. Therefore, the temporary employee is sourced, interviewed and paid by the agency, resulting in less administrative work for the contractor.

TES agencies offer a database of suitable temporary staff who can be dispatched to job sites when required, preventing disturbances in productivity when permanent staff are not available.

Common occurrences, such as a staff member falling ill in the middle of a project, can be a huge setback for a business, states CAPES.

Staff Benefits

Legal and compliant TES agencies, with which registration is free, ease the burden of employing staff permanently, which is an advantage for business owners and work-seekers.

Having 100 permanent employees while there is little work available could be a serious liability for a business and could cause it to shut down, leaving 100 people without jobs.

It is often easier for temporary staff to find work through a TES agency, which eliminates the need for daily job hunts, states CAPES.

For the lower class, which most likely has limited access to the Internet, having their contact details stored by an agency is advantageous, as they are notified about job opportunities as they become available.

Ensure Credibility

The catch is finding a compliant and accredited agency. However, a list of compliant agencies servicing the construction engineering industry is available from the Construction Engineering Association (South Africa) (CEA (SA)).

The TES division of the CEA (SA) – one of the four associations that make up CAPES – represents construction engineering industry employers.

CAPES is committed to the professionalisation of the private employment agency industry in South Africa and all members must operate in strict accordance with legislation and ensure the highest levels of professional conduct, ethics and adherence to best practice.

Construction engineering companies employing the services of TES agencies need to ensure that these agencies are registered and compliant with the necessary legislation, including the Employment Equity Act, warns the CAPES.

“As with any noncompliant business, fly-by-night TES agencies do more harm than good to the industry.”