This could have postitive implicaitons.
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COURT SAYS TEMPS DESERVE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
A federal court of appeals has ruled that about 10,000 temporary workers at
Microsoft are entitled to take part in the discounted stock-option plan the
company offers to regular employees. Industry analyst Rob Enderle says,
"This is a broad decision, and it applies to all businesses. If you've got
a temp worker putting in 20-plus hours a week, you better start considering
him or her like you would a part-time worker" -- and provide employee
benefits. The ruling indicated that a temporary worker can be considered a
"common-law employee" if the person's work was controlled not by the
placement agency but by the company for which the work was being done.
Microsoft plans to appeal. (New York Times 14 May 99)
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/05/biztech/articles/14soft.html
