The change in the economy over the last two years has increased the contracting of temporary workers, a trend that many believe is here to stay. The U.S. Department of Labor notes that employment of temporary workers is expected to grow 19% through 2018.

The positions in which companies use temporary employees have changed to include those of financial officers, health care workers, lawyers, IT professions, and even C-suite executives. Today, temporary workers have the same access to a company’s facility, files, and client records as permanent employees who have likely been background screened. Now more than ever, with this shift in the types of positions filled by temporary workers, screening all employees – temporary, contract, and permanent – is a vital element of the hiring process.

Case in point: In early 2009, Los Angeles county officials found themselves in a precarious, embarrassing situation. After discovering a convicted rapist had been working at one of its East Los Angeles health clinics for some time, the county was forced to suspend the contract for one of its largest providers of temporary employees, while also admitting to not knowing how many of the 2,000+ temporary workers employed at LA county hospitals and clinics had ever undergone criminal background checks.

The shift in the temporary workforce has put temporary employees in positions of power and influence like never before. They need to be treated in the same fashion as you would treat the permanent staffers they will work with every day. Therefore, the interaction between a company and its staffing agency should be a partnership.

Who is to blame when temporary employees are not screened? Some will blame the staffing companies but it ultimately is the responsibility of your company to ensure that any worker on your premises is properly screened. The staffing agency works for you and it is important to ensure that your temporary hires are subjected to the same high screening standards as your permanent staff. It is important for several reasons: to safeguard your company’s proprietary information, ensure a safe working environment, avoid costly lawsuits, and protect your company’s solid reputation.