(This is an abridged version of a story that appears in the September issue of Marijuana Business Magazine.)
The gig economy has permeated U.S. culture as companies such as Uber, Lyft and DoorDash offer people a way to make a living while offering services that customers demand.
Approximately 41 million U.S. citizens work as consultants, contractors, freelancers and temporary or on-call employees, a sector that generated $1.28 trillion of revenue for the American economy last year, according to a report by MBO Partners, a Virginia-based management services company.
The abundance of such workers is a plus for the marijuana industry, where companies often employ temporary employees.
Short-term workers typically are available through employment agencies that specialize in offering such labor to marijuana businesses.
Instead of incurring the costs associated with a full-time employee – think workers’ compensation, payroll paperwork or payroll taxes – cannabis companies might offer a premium hourly wage to the employment agency.
Two other benefits to hiring temporary workers when business is strong: Short-term employees can be released when business slows, and companies can convert proficient part-time laborers into full-time staffers.
Hiring experts contacted by Marijuana Business Magazine offered the following tips on how to go about finding part-time workers.
