Ace USA Expands Coverage For Temporary Staff Industry.

The strength of the U.S. economy is fueling a tight job market and expanding the use of temporary workers. About 1 million new jobs have been created by staffing companies in the past five years, and about 2.9 million people per day are employed by staffing companies, according to the American Staffing Association.

Temporary workers are ubiquitous in the workplace with 95% of all U.S. businesses using workers hired through the staffing industry, said Karen McCormick, vice president of Norman Spencer McKernan, a Conshohocken, Pa.-based brokerage that develops, underwrites and markets industry-specific affinity programs. Today, temporary workers include customer service representatives, assemblers, warehouse clerks and data-entry positions.

Ace USA and Norman Spencer McKernan recently released an expanded version of coverage for the staffing industry called StaffingLines. The program is administered nationally by Norman Spencer McKernan and claims services are provided by Constitution State Services, a Travelers company.

Besides offering workers' compensation in multiple states, StaffingLines covers incidents often not included in most general liability policies. For example, if a temporary worker breaks a computer, the staffing company is covered for the damage, McCormick said. The program includes sexual-misconduct coverage, combined forms for professional liability and employment-related practices, and auto and umbrella coverages. StaffingLines also pays for income losses to a third party, if trade secrets--such as a client list--are stolen by a temporary worker.

RiskStaff, a loss-control provider, provides services for StaffingLines, including return-to-work programs and record keeping for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.