"Temp Employee" and Company's Group Insurance

[jdp_consultant]

I am employed in Los Angeles, CA as a "temp". I've been working now 40+ hours a week for around 7 months.

The employer offers group medical benefits, but says that I do not qualify because I am not a perm employee.

I have reviewed the employee handbook, and it says that they generally consider a temp employee to be for assignments 3 months or less, except that the assignments could be extended (such as mine, apparently).

Is there any law that supercedes this that would allow me to qualify for the insurance benefit (everything else being equal)? In the handbook for a normal employee, the waiting period is listed as 90 days.

My position is not unique. There are 4 of us in the department doing the exact same work - I'm the only one considered a temp.

Thank you,

JP

 

[ALawyer]

This is really a Labor and Employment claim vs. and insurance issue. As a full time employee there are a lot of other benefits you'd get as well, including vacation, pensions, etc.

Contact the CA Department of Emplyment and ask them. Then ask the boss -- it may have been an oversight. The trouble is if you ask someone who realizes s/he's done something wrong, to correct it he can fire you, and that's not much help.