I'd like to look into creating a commission to investigate the policy
of hiring temporary employees during the winter - i.e. flu season.

It seems right now around Portland the use of temporary workers is on
the rise. I'm sure companies find the cost of hiring temp workers is
lower, and thus more appealing, than hiring permanent employees with
benefits. Also the week-to-week nature of most temporary gigs would
give added flexibility to these companies.

But I wonder about the downside of hiring temps, especially in Maine
in the winter.

Think about it, temps generally don't have health insurance, nor do
they have sick time, so it seems likely that temps will get ill more
often and for longer periods of time. And with fewer days off to use,
temps would likely come in to the office when they're under the
weather, and spread their sickness to the full-time workers around
them.

Thus is it wise for employers to hire temps? What's the full economic
cost of hiring temporary workers?

Sure, I'm being slightly facetious, but I think there's a glimmer of
truth in there.

So what do you say we hire a few temps to bang out this study?