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Recruitment & Classification
County Of Sonoma › Administrative Support & Fiscal Services › Human Resources › Divisions and Units › Recruitment & Classification › Services › Filling a Position › Evaluating Your Need & Urgency › Temporary Staffing Services FAQ
Recruitment & Classification

Temporary Staffing Services Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The Department’s need for temporary services is going to exceed 90 days. Can the assignment for a temporary worker be extended more than 90 days?

No. CA Government Code 31000.4 restricts the use of temporary help to 90 days. The Code provides no extension, waiver, or exception to the 90-day limit. If your need is longer than 90 days, please work with your department’s Human Resources Recruitment & Classification Analyst to review extra-help options. 

We have a great extra-help employee who has reached the maximum service hours. We still have a temporary need. Can the extra-help employees be hired as temporary service workers for the same assignment?

No. Extra-help employees who have reached their maximum are required to have a "break in service," per Civil Service Rules. It is not appropriate to rehire the same employee as a temporary service worker immediately following the completion of an extra-help assignment.

The temporary service agency sent us a super temporary worker. The need we have is going to exceed 90 days, but we want to keep the same worker. Can we convert that employee from a temporary service worker to County Extra-Help employment?

Yes. Contact your department's Human Resources Recruitment and Classification Analyst for more information on how to process the conversion from temporary agency worker to County Extra-Help employment.

The temporary agency sent us a referral for an employee who is currently an extra-help employee. Can we employ this person for the temporary assignment?

No. Extra-help employees cannot simultaneously be employed as temporary workers, as this would be a violation of CA Government Code 31000.4. Extra-help employees at or approaching maximum service hours should not be hired as temporary service workers.

The temporary agency sent us a referral for a County of Sonoma retiree. Can we employ the retiree for the temporary assignment through the temp agency?

No. A County of Sonoma retiree could lawfully provide services to us as an independent contractor or as an employee of a third-party employer and not be subject to the legal post-retirement employment work restrictions, but only if there is no common law employer-employee relationship between the retiree and the County. However, this standard cannot be met, and the employment is subject to the retired annuitant restrictions, if the work the retiree would be performing is the same or similar to work the retiree performed as an active County employee or is work performed by an active employee of the County. In such a situation, an employer-employee relationship exists as a matter of law, and the employment is subject to the retired annuitant restrictions. If a retiree works as a supposed independent contractor and is later determined to be an employee, and that employment violates any of the retired annuitant restrictions, the individual’s retirement will be terminated.

Can we interview or request resumes of temporary workers from the agency before making an appointment?

It depends. If the temporary assignment is very short (e.g. one week, one month), Human Resources advises that you employ the worker assigned by the temporary services agency to expedite filling your Department’s needs. However, if the assignment is longer, but still less than 90 days (e.g., two to three months), you may request resumes from the temporary service agency and conduct interviews before making a selection.

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