Renting staff...that is, using scientifically trained individuals just when the company needs them—is a method of reducing costs while maintaining the level of sophistication and expertise to which a company is accustomed.
Take, for example an agrichemical manufacturer that recently identified a new herbicide—one that could prove very effective and safe for the environment. The company has determined that the com pound requires a testing program of six to 18 months using a specific type of moth colony indigenous to its geographical market target. So it must hire a technician to play mother and protector to the moths in the test.
If the company hires directly, union regulations will force it to find this person a permanent assignment once he or she spends more than six months on the job, even if the project is abandoned. The company’s hiring scale indicates that it must pay a minimum of $24,000 annually ...
