STATE OF LOUISIANA

DEPARTMENT OF STATE CIVIL SERVICE

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA

 

December 27, 2005

 

 

General Circular No. 001642

 

To:                   Heads of State Agencies and Human Resource Directors

 

Subject:            New Westaff Contract for Temporary Staffing Services

 

Issue Date:       December 27, 2005

 

NOTE:  Please see below important information on pricing changes effective January 1.

 

The State of Louisiana has entered into a new contract with Westaff for the use of private section “temps”. Westaff has had such a contract with the state since 1998.  Use of this contract is one of several ways an agency may meet its temporary staffing needs.  Sub-professional work in four areas is included under the contract:  1)  Office/clerical, 2) Trades/maintenance, 3) Custodial, and 4) Food service.  Use of other such temporary firms to provide the services listed above is a violation of the state contract and Civil Service Rule 1.40.02.

 

Of course, agencies may use restricted and job appointments for such purposes, whether or not they choose to use Westaff temps.  No individual Westaff temp may work over 680 work hours in a 12-month period (includes those employees who started work on the previous contract).  These hours may be worked continuously or intermittently, but under no circumstances may an individual temp work over this limit.

 

Westaff has established a web site for use by state agencies: www.westaff.com/louisiana.  After accessing that web site, the user is asked to enter a user name and password.  For your information, the user name is louisiana (lower case) and the password is westaff (lower case).  Information at this site includes the following:

 

  1. Authorized Signature Form (the first thing an agency needs to complete if it has not previously used a Westaff temp);
  2. List of Westaff office, contact names, phone and fax numbers and email addresses statewide;
  3. Requisition form to “order” a temp;
  4. Various jobs the temps can be hired to perform and job descriptions for each;
  5. Bill rates for the different job titles in different regions of the state; and,
  6. Evaluation form to be completed for each temp.

 

Other information at this website includes a PowerPoint presentation, which gives an overview of Westaff services, capabilities and office locations.  Use the login instructions in the paragraph above to log on and view the presentation.

 

Please keep in mind the following important information:

 

1.         New billing rates will be effective for work performed January 1, 2006 and after.  In almost all cases, these rates will be lower than the previous ones.  These new billing rates apply to: a) work performed on January 1 and after by temps who began working prior to January 1 and b) those who are hired on or after January 1.

 

2.         Because of these new rates, it is necessary for agencies to complete new requisition forms for the temps listed in #1 above.  The new form can be found on the Westaff website.  Please complete the form indicating the new billing rates and either e-mail it or fax it to the local Westaff offices.

 

3.         Agencies must pay their Westaff bills no later than 30 days after they are billed.

 

4.         State employees who sign temps’ time cards (record of time worked) are responsible for the accuracy of this document, which will determine the temp’s pay and the agency’s billing for this service.  Special care should be given to sign the card only when the total time worked is certain.  Please confirm the following for each time card:

 

·        Total the time card when you sign it.  Circle this total.

·        Sign the time card only after all hours are worked. Please do not sign the cards prior to time worked.

·        Deduct time for lunch when taken.

·        Put a line through any day not worked.

·        Initial beside any alterations, such as cross-outs on the time card.

 

Note:  Agencies are encouraged to use electronic methods to send timecards.

 

We urge agencies to refer to the Westaff web site for information and to contact the nearest Westaff office or Makayla Weber-Harris in our Program Assistance Division at 225-219-9450 if you have any questions in this matter.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

 

s/Anne S. Soileau

Acting Director