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Columbia University has contracted with the third-party service provider Veritude to manage the temporary agencies we use University-wide. By logging on to the MyColumbia portal, you can request and hire temporary staff from a broad pool of experienced workers who have been pre-screened to meet the particular needs of our schools and academic departments and of our central University units.
In addition to temporary staff, you can receive assistance with regular hiring and with locating a consultant. We can even tailor a hiring program to your specific needs. You can speak in person to a representative of the Columbia University Temporary Staffing Office (CUTSO) at 212-851-1414 to request a temp, receive technical assistance, or address any issues or concerns you may have with the process. We look forward to working with you.
We have designed a web-based system to make the hiring process, "560 rule" monitoring, and billing and budget tracking as simple and efficient as possible. To use the system:
Like a short-term casual, an agency temp is generally hired for a special project or as a short-term replacement. The rules and limitations that apply to casuals also apply to agency temps. Whereas a department doesn't pay fringe on an agency temp, participating agencies have contractually agreed to a universal rate card that has been pre-negotiated by the University in an effort to leverage our collective spending power.
An agency may be helpful if you don't already have a candidate in mind. The CUTSO can help in the recruitment process by providing a pool of pre-screened candidates with specific skills and areas of specialization, often from vendors that you are already familiar with or have worked with in the past.
After a competitive bidding process, a number of agencies were selected to provide services to the Columbia community. For a full list of selected agencies, please contact the CUTSO at 212-851-1414 or at tempstaffing@columbia.edu.
Back To TopAgency temps are subject to the same 560-Hour Limit within a 12 month period that applies to short-term casuals (see above). Although the system automatically tracks and monitors the number of hours agency temps work across the entire University, each department/school is responsible for complying with the rule. If you are requesting a temp that has already used up a portion of the 560 hours, you will be notified in advance so that you can make an informed decision based on your needs at the time.
On a case-by-case basis, temporary assignment extensions can be granted by CUHR’s Employee and Labor Relations Office. However, if a school/department needs to employ a worker beyond 560 hours, they must create a position that will be captured on the regular payroll, either in a temporary employee status or in a full-time position. Regular University posting and administrative monitoring procedures apply to officer positions of more than 12 months and to support staff positions of more than four months.
If a department wishes to hire a temporary associate on a full or part-time basis as a Columbia employee, the temporary service agencies under contract with Columbia will release an employee at no charge after eight (8) weeks. To ensure that no fee is charged in these instances, the CUTSO should be notified of the intent to hire prior to an offer being extended and/or when the request is initially made.
Agency temps are not eligible for University benefits but may receive benefits through their agencies. Note that if an agency temp is hired as a regular or temporary university employee, the period as an agency temp does not count towards benefits eligibility.
Back To TopTemps who are hired from employment agencies are treated as the employee of that agency and are paid by the agency and not by the University. The FAS accounts of participating schools and departments are automatically billed monthly in order to make payments directly to the agency, which is responsible for paying the salary and benefits of the temporary employee. You have the ability to reconcile your account(s) as needed by logging onto the portal and pulling up detail on your temp usage, expenses, hours, and vendors used.
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