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Certified Minority / Hispanic Woman-Owned Business Enterprise


Employee FAQ's

How is dmDickason Temporary Services different from all the other Temp services
in the area?

What training does dmDickason offer its temporary field employees?
What skills verifications (testing) does dmDickason offer?
What is the benefit of utilizing a dmDickason temporary field employee?
How can dmDickason Personnel Services help my Company?
What is the difference between temporary staffing and a Staff Leasing (PEO) arrangement?
What is included in my Temporary Services Bill rate?
How am I billed?
When are my invoices due?
Can my company pay by Credit card?
Who is responsible for the employee’s wages and payroll taxes?
Who is responsible for state unemployment taxes?
Who is responsible for employment laws and regulations?
Can I hire the temporary employee as one of my own full-time employees?
Can I interview the temporary before utilizing them?

How is dmDickason Temporary Services different from all the other Temp
services in the area?

As business owners and long time El Paso residents, Don and Martha Dickason have a stake in their community, and are fully committed to the success of their operation. Moreover, we realize that our success depends solely on the business relationships developed with Corporate Clients like you. Therefore, we strive, everyday, to provide that added personal touch that is so often lacking with larger National Staffing Corporations where decisions that are supposed to be good for you, are being made by people who don’t even know you. dmDickason, however, can offer the large system benefits, training and knowledge with the personal entrepreneurial spirit and hands-on dedication that ensures your satisfaction.  For the top 10 reasons why dmDickason has been the #1 largest and oldest full-service staffing company in our area for over 40 years, please click on the dmDickason Difference.

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What training does dmDickason offer its temporary field employees?
dmDickason’s skill enhancement (training) system is designed to allow the temporary employee to upgrade his or her computer skills as well as cross-train in new software packages.

Our skills enhancement system consists of training tutorials that allow the potential employee to proceed at his /her own pace.  The word processing tutorials allow the applicant to learn a new package from A to Z, or to select training for specific functional areas.  Upon completing the tutorial, the applicant can be given the appropriate skills evaluation (test) so we can determine suitability for various assignments.

dmDickason skill enhancement (training) system includes free training tutorials in the following areas:

  • Microsoft Office 2000 - Word, Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and MS Project 2000 in Fundamental, Proficient and Expert categories;
  • Microsoft Office 2002 - Word, Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and MS Project 2002 in Fundamental, Proficient and Expert categories;
  • Microsoft Office 2003 - Word, Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and MS Project 2003 in Fundamental, Proficient and Expert categories;
  • Safety Basics – to include:
    • Basic Lifting
    • Forklift Operation and Safety Techniques
    • Hazardous Communication Basics
    • Workplace Harassment
    • Lock out / Tag out
    • Personal protection Equipment

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What skills verifications (testing) does dmDickason offer?
dmDickason’s skills testing system is quite extensive.  Our on-line system includes skills verification in the following areas:



  • Office / Secretarial / Clerical
  • Accounting / Bookkeeping
  • Software / Microsoft Office / See above
  • Light Industrial
  • “Primary” Skills
  • Safety
  • Healthcare / Medical
  • Behavioral Assessments
  • Legal
  • For a complete and detailed list of specific skills verification tests we can provide, please click here:  Testing and Training programs

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    What is the benefit of utilizing dmDickason’s  temporary field employees?
    Today, small and large businesses want to focus their valuable time, attention and energy on the “business of their business” and not on the “business of human resources management”.  As businesses grow, many small and medium sized businesses do not have the necessary human resource training, payroll and accounting skills, knowledge of regulatory compliance, or backgrounds in risk management, insurance and employee benefit programs to meet the demands of being a progressive employer.

    dmDickason, however, is in the “business of human resource management” and as we focus 100% of our time on our “business of business” we are, in reality, improving your business by providing you with an integrated and cost effective solution to help you meet your critical demands of utilizing quality employees. For a checklist where you can compare the differences between dmDickason and other staffing companies in the area, please click on:  Every staffing service is
    not the same – We are the best at what we do!

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    How can dmDickason Personnel Services help my Company?
    dmDickason’s economy of scale enables each client to lower employment costs and increase the business’s bottom line.  The client can maintain a simple in-house Human Resource infrastructure, or, none at all by relying on dmDickason.  Our medium to large sized client can also reduce hiring, payroll and benefits overhead by not having to hire a full-time Payroll Manager, Risk Manager, Unemployment Claims Coordinator or Human Resources Manager (not to mention additional support staff, payroll taxes, benefits, supplies and office space).

    For the Business: We help control your administrative costs…..

    • No advertising, recruiting, screening and interviewing;
    • We do the testing and training;
    • The right person for the job right now;
    • We handle all employee records retention – We save time and paperwork hassles;
    • Payroll processing
    • Government reporting / payroll deductions / garnishments
    • Payroll tax filings
    • dmDickason helps reduce Accounting and Payroll costs;
    • We provide professional HR / legal compliance assistance (EEO, Payroll, IRCA, etc.);
    • We provide employee benefits;
    • Access to HR, Risk Management, Payroll and Unemployment Claims Professionals;
    • No unemployment claims to process;
    • No workers’ compensation claims to process;
    • Pay-as-you-go workers’ compensation premiums – No large down payments / deposits to pay;

    The Small Business Administration reports that the business Owner or Manager spends roughly 7% to 25% of his / her time just handling employee related paperwork.  Add it up; the “business of human resources” can become very expensive, very quickly.  Instead, the professionals at dmDickason can provide critical assistance with employer compliance, which also helps protect the client against costly litigation.  Finally, dmDickason provides time-savings (to you) by handling many routine and redundant tasks for you.  This enables the business Owner and Manager to focus his or her time on the company’s core business competency and grow its bottom line more proactively.

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    What is the difference between temporary staffing and a Staff Leasing (PEO) arrangement?
    A temporary staffing service recruits employees and assigns them to clients to support or supplement the client’s workforce in short-term or special work situations such as employee absences, special projects, increased workloads, skill shortages or seasonal work.

    In a temporary staffing arrangement, all the services listed below (what is included in my temporary services bill rate) are provided.  In a PEO, or Staff Leasing arrangement, the employment services of recruiting, screening, interviewing, hiring, training, of employees are not normally provided.

    A PEO (Staff Leasing) arrangement, however, involves all of a significant number of the client’s existing worksite employees in a long-term, non-project related employment relationship.  dmDickason contractually assumes and manages many select employer responsibilities for all or a majority of the workforce.  For more information on What is a PEO, or, Obtain a Free Quote, please click on either one of these links.

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    What is included in my Temporary Services Bill rate?
    To fully appreciate the value being offered by dmDickason Temporary Service, it is important to understand an Employer’s current employment related costs.  Every company with employees has financial obligations for certain employer related payroll taxes and employer administrative responsibilities such as:

    • The Employees wages - For the most part, you dictate how much you want to pay the temporary employee.  Your dmDickason Staffing Specialist can provide advice on the competitive “going rate” for most employees.  The following costs / taxes are determined by the base wage you want to pay the temporary employee.

    • Statutory “Pass-through” financial obligations of being an EmployerdmDickason’s bill rate for services will include a price that includes all normal employer-related costs including the employer’s required contribution to FICA, Medicare and FUTA. These costs are an employer’s obligations when you hire any employee whether you engage dmDickason or not.

    • Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA):  As an Employer, you may be required to withhold Social Security taxes from the employee.  It is also your obligation to match this amount as the Employer’s contribution.  FICA amounts are billed (to the client) at 6.2% of wages, per employee.  Your pass-through amount will be for only the actual amount of the employer’s requirement of FICA.  This amount will be collected from you and remitted to the government by dmDickason.

    • Medicare:  As with FICA, Medicare is a pass-through employer obligation, billed at 1.45% to both the employee and employer.  Just like FICA, Medicare will be collected from the employer and remitted to the government by dmDickason.

    • Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA):  Your bill rate will also include a pass-through charge for your company’s obligation for federal unemployment taxes.  This amount represents .008 or .8%.  dmDickason is responsible for collecting and depositing the FUTA payments and filing the governments 940 on all temporary employees utilized by your company.

    • State Unemployment Tax (SUTA):  In every state (including Texas) employers are required to pay state unemployment taxes.  Tax amounts are calculated for each employee based on the actual wages paid to the employee and the past employment rate of the temporary service.  In a temporary service / client relationship, SUTA is calculated for all temporary employees utilized by your company and paid by dmDickason since we are the employer of record with the state.

    • Workers’ Compensation InsurancedmDickason’s quote will include Workers’ Compensation coverage for all dmDickason temporary field employees.  dmDickason’s bill rate will reflect workers’ compensation rates based on the risk associated with the actual type of work being performed.  Coverage (rates) for high risk work, like construction, is obviously more expensive than coverage for office workers, since these jobs are more prone to accidents.

    • dmDickason’s Administrative Services:   Administrative fees are charged by dmDickason to cover the cost of the administrative services we provide your company.  These fees include payroll processing, unemployment claims handling, workers’ compensation claims administration, unemployment claims handling, benefits administration.

    • Recruiting, screening,  interviewing, training, hiring, supervision and retention of quality temporary employees(plus 100% of the liability and responsibility associated with employing staff).  In order to build an “inventory” of qualified temporary employees so that we can have them readily available, on demand, for assignments at various client worksites, a great deal of cost is incurred by our company to hire and train a sufficient team (we have 12-15 local Staffing Specialists in three branch offices) who, 5 days a week, 52 weeks per year, recruit, interview, test, hire, train, and supervise 4000-6000 annual temporary and temp-to-hire field employees.  In addition, we must provide our staff employees with competitive benefits, vacation pay, state-of-the-art computer system, legal support and more.  Our company is in the “business of employment” so you don’t have to be.  For more information on the full-service staffing support we provide your company, please click on How can dmDickason Personnel Services help my Company?

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    How am I billed?
    dmDickason’s El Paso based Payroll and Accounting Department will send you a weekly invoice that reflects  each temporary utilized, along with all services and costs (mentioned above) bundled into one cost.  You have no worries about how much of the invoice amount must be sent / reported to the government. dmDickason will take care of all of that.  And, remember that these costs are a fully tax deductible expense to your business.

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    When are my invoices due?
    Our invoices are net due and payable upon receipt.  Invoices represent payroll and associated payroll taxes, and not ordinary goods and services.   Please remind your Accounts Payables Department that payroll is always due when services are rendered by any employee.

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    Can my company pay by Credit card?
    Yes.

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    Who is responsible for the employee’s wages and payroll taxes?
    dmDickason assumes responsibility and liability for payment of wages and compliance with all rules and regulations governing the reporting and payment of federal, state and local (if applicable) taxes on wages paid for temporary employees.  The Internal Revenue Service recognizes dmDickason as the employer for federal income and unemployment taxes.

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    Who is responsible for state unemployment taxes?
    As the employer for employment tax and employee benefits, dmDickason assumes responsibility and liability for payment of state unemployment taxes.  Texas and New Mexico, as well as most other states, recognize dmDickason as the responsible entity.  dmDickason will report all unemployment tax liability under our state unemployment tax number.  Your tax number will not be affected by the turnover of temporary employees!

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    Who is responsible for employment laws and regulations?
    The client is.  However, dmDickason provides assigned employees and our Client employers with on-going guidance within the entire spectrum of employment laws and regulations, including federal, state and local discrimination laws, Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, ADA, FMLA, HIPPA, Equal Pay Act, and COBRA.  As the worksite employer, you are entirely responsible for preventing all forms of illegal harassment, discrimination and retaliation in your worksite, whether the employee is a temporary or permanent staff member.

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    Can I hire the temporary employee as one of my own full-time employees?
    No and Yes.  For example:  If you liked a leased or rented automobile well enough to own it, would you be able keep the car without paying for it?  Of course not!  Temporary Staffing companies spend a significant amount of time and money attracting, recruiting, interviewing, testing, hiring, training, and building an “inventory” of qualified temporary employees so that we can have them readily available, on demand, for assignments at various client worksites. However, yes, a dmDickason temporary employee can be hired as a full-time employee with your company upon completion of a minimum temp-to-hire billable hours or, by a conversion buy-out.  For more details please ask your Staffing Specialist.

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    Can I interview the temporary before utilizing them?
    Yes.

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