Explain one advantage and one disadvanatge of using temporary staff. (6 marks)

Temporary staff have an employment contract with their employer but it is for a predetermined time period or until a specific task has been completed.

One advantage of having temporary employees is that they can be used to cover periods of increased demand. For example, in a seasonal business they will have increased demand during certain times of the year and temporary employees can be used to manage this demand. This is advantageous to the company as they do not have to pay the employees throughout the whole year such as times when demand falls low. Temporary employees therefore allow companies to match demand for their product or service with their supply of workers.

One disadvantage of having temporary employees is that these employees may be less motivated as they know that they are leaving the business at the end of the contract. This could cause a problem in a business which relies heavily on customer service and may suggest that the work quality provided by temporary workers is poorer than that provided by permanent workers. Therefore, one disadvantage of temporary workers is that they may damage the reputation of your business which may be even more detrimental if they are handling demand when it is at its highest.