If you’re a seasonal or temporary worker in California, you might think you’re at the bottom of the priority list when it comes to legal protection. You might think that because your job has an expiration date, your rights do too.
You are wrong.
In the eyes of California law, there is no such thing as a "second-class" employee. Whether you’ve been on the job for twenty years or twenty minutes, if you are injured while performing your duties, you are entitled to workers’ compensation. At Kiwan & Chambers APC, we don’t let insurance companies hide behind your "temporary" status to deny you the benefits you have earned.
Your Status Does Not Strip Away Your Rights
California law is crystal clear: almost every employee in the state is covered by workers’ compensation insurance from their very first day on the job. This includes:
- Seasonal workers (retail holiday help, agricultural harvesters, lifeguards)
- Temporary employees (staffing agency placements, short-term project hires)
- Part-time workers
Insurance adjusters love to play games. They might tell you that because you’re "just a temp," you aren’t eligible for medical care or disability payments. This is a lie. If you are an employee and not an independent contractor, you are protected.
The Reality of Temporary Work Hazards
The truth is that seasonal and temporary workers are often at higher risk for injury. You are frequently thrown into fast-paced environments with minimal training. You are pushed to meet "peak season" quotas while using equipment you’ve barely been introduced to.
Whether it’s a back injury from lifting heavy crates, a slip and fall on a slick warehouse floor, or a repetitive motion injury from a holiday rush, the pain is the same—and the law’s requirement for your employer to pay is the same.
Who Pays? The Staffing Agency or the Client?
If you were hired through a staffing agency, things can get complicated. Often, both the agency (the "general employer") and the company where you actually work (the "special employer") share legal responsibility.
Don't let these two companies point fingers at each other while your medical bills pile up. California’s joint-liability rules ensure that someone is responsible for your recovery. We make sure that "someone" pays up.
Benefits You Can Demand
If you are injured, you are entitled to more than just a "get well soon" card. You have a right to:
- Medical Care: Paid for by the employer to cure or relieve the effects of the injury.
- Temporary Disability: Payments if you can’t do your usual job while recovering.
- Permanent Disability: Compensation if you don’t recover 100%.
- Supplemental Job Displacement: A voucher for retraining if you can't return to your old job.
Fight Back with Our San Diego Workers’ Compensation Lawyers
The insurance companies have teams of lawyers whose only job is to find reasons to say "no." They will look at your temporary contract and see a way to save money. We see a worker who was used and then discarded the moment they got hurt. We don’t tolerate it.
Stop letting them push you around. You deserve a legal team that is as aggressive and resolute as the companies trying to deny you. Contact Kiwan & Chambers APC today at (619) 257-5304 for a free consultation. We don't back down, and we don't settle for less than you deserve.