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What is Employee Leasing?
Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick
Smaller companies looking to expand their workforce may be comfortable with the technical side of the hiring process, but not the human resource side. Business owners often find themselves overwhelmed by all the payroll accounting, record keeping and benefits which accompany newly hired employees. One popular solution to this problem is the practice of employee leasing.
Employee leasing is similar to the process of hiring temporary workers, but the key difference is permanency. A company wishing to pursue this process will first contact a Professional Employment Organization (PEO) to discuss its particular employment needs. The PEO or other employment leasing company might set up an interview process for recruiting new staff, or might take responsibility for existing workers. The company can still participate in the hiring process, but any hired personnel will officially work for the leasing company.
For many employees, the switch from their original company to an employee leasing company is actually a better deal financially. Since a typical PEO handles a large number of employees from numerous companies, future health insurance and other benefits can be negotiated in bulk. A worker at a small electronics company can enjoy the same level of benefits as a worker in a massive automotive plant. Wages and performance reviews are under the auspices of the employee leasing organization, not the original companies.
Employers often lease employees to eliminate the need for accountants and human resource managers. The leasing agency charges a fee in addition to the employees' wages, much like temporary employment agencies. This fee is often less than the cost of hiring human resource experts and payroll accountants. Because workers are not considered employees of the company in a legal sense, personal injuries and workers' compensation claims become the responsibility of the employee leasing agency.
Employee leasing is not a perfect solution for some companies, however. Since workers are not completely under the control of management, communications may become strained. Conflicts may have to be arbitrated by representatives of the leasing agency. Termination of non-productive workers may not be as simple as handing out pink slips. Certain union contracts actually prohibit the use of employee leasing agencies or PEOs in order to prevent companies from outsourcing their human resource departments.
Michael Pollick
A regular WiseGEEK contributor, Michael enjoys doing research in order to satisfy his wide-ranging curiosity about a variety of arcane topics. Before becoming a professional writer, Michael worked as an English tutor, poet, voice-over artist, and DJ.
Learn more...
Michael Pollick
A regular WiseGEEK contributor, Michael enjoys doing research in order to satisfy his wide-ranging curiosity about a variety of arcane topics. Before becoming a professional writer, Michael worked as an English tutor, poet, voice-over artist, and DJ.
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![Companies may lease employees to handle human resources tasks.]()
By: Adam GregorCompanies may lease employees to handle human resources tasks. -
![Under employee leasing, workers' compensation claims become the responsibility of the leasing agency.]()
By: HalfpointUnder employee leasing, workers' compensation claims become the responsibility of the leasing agency.
Discussion Comments
This article really gives relevant information about offshore employee leasing which people can understand the true meaning of it.
Does this type of agreement mean that both the original company and the PEO function as one entity? Do they each report the same number of employees to their state Department of Labor?
Hi. Thanks for writing such a great article. It’s really good to know about human resources in such a detail. There are many companies reeling under pressure in the last two years, due to the global economic downturn. And it has become absolutely necessary for companies in every business to look at cost cutting measures. Thanks, Sibley
My husband has been an employee, actually started the company with the owner, 16 years ago. He showed up for a meeting one afternoon and was told that the company needed all employees to fill out new "insurance paperwork" and unknown people were in said meeting, and introduced as the new "insurance agents and contacts." Everyone was made to fill out forms, and a couple weeks later all paychecks were now being issued from an employment leasing company.
Is this legal? My husband was never given the opportunity to consent becoming an employee of this company or look for other employment? How can this be legal?
He doesn't know which company handbook to follow and now this PEO is demanding new medical history information forms to be filled out (all of which is on file with the original employer)if they are not filled out they have threatened to withhold paychecks.
Any advice on what my husband's rights are or where we can find information would be helpful.
Thanks.
Hard working man's wife.
my husband was hired in a management position for a company 3yrs ago. After working there three months his checks began coming from an agency and not the company and then suddenly back from the company. He was told that was their accountant now because of other bookkeeping issues with this company. We have learned this was a leasing company. Does that mean that for those three months he was employed with the leasing company and not his company? Should he not have signed something in this regard or been informed that this was the circumstance or is that not required?
my husband was hired in a management position for a company 3yrs ago after working there three months his checks began coming from an agency and not the company and then suddenly back from the company- he was told that was their accountant- now because of other bookkeeping issues with this company we have learned - this was a leasing company- does that mean that for those three months - he was employed with the leasing company and not his company? Should he not have signed something in this regard-or been informed that this was the circumstances, or is that not required?
what are the benefits for each: employees, the original company, the leasing agency and State, in this case " Employee Leasing" ?
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