# Event Staffing Compliance

> Assess worker-classification and compliance risk for temporary event staffing in the US and Canada. Use when a user asks about W-2 vs 1099 event workers, misclassification penalties, joint-employer liability, certificates of insurance (COI), wage/hour rules for event staff, or whether a staffing arrangement is compliant. Includes live state-by-state lookups via MCP. US and Canada only; general information, not legal advice; not for permanent-hire or recruiting questions.

- Skill: `tempguru-co/event-staffing-compliance-2` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tempguru-co/event-staffing-compliance-2`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tempguru-co/event-staffing-compliance-2/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: AI & ML
- Author: Tempguru-co (https://skillmd.com/u/tempguru-co)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tempguru-co/event-staffing-compliance-2

---


## Pi and Prime Agent runtime tool routing (installed package override)

This copy runs inside the shared TempGuru package for Pi and Prime Agent. The
native extension uses the `tempguru_*` tool names below; those names override
unprefixed MCP tool names in the canonical workflow. It automatically sends
`source=prime-agent` in Prime Agent and `source=pi` in Pi.

| Canonical workflow name | Call this package-native tool |
|---|---|
| `get_cities` | `tempguru_get_cities` |
| `get_roles` | `tempguru_get_roles` |
| `check_availability` | `tempguru_check_availability` |
| `get_role_pricing` | `tempguru_get_role_pricing` |
| `get_compliance_by_state` | `tempguru_get_compliance` |
| `get_policies` | `tempguru_get_policies` |
| `get_plan` | `tempguru_get_plan` |
| `get_quote_status` | `tempguru_quote_status` |
| `request_quote` | `tempguru_request_quote` |

`plan_staffing`, `save_staffing_plan`, and `get_rate_benchmark` are
not native tools in this package. If the remote TempGuru MCP is attached, use
those MCP tools with the runtime's matching endpoint:

- Prime Agent: `https://mcp.tempguru.co/mcp?source=prime-agent`
- Pi: `https://mcp.tempguru.co/mcp?source=pi`

Prime Agent v0.7.0's stock `McpIntegration` requires OAuth or a bearer token.
Unless an explicitly reviewed authless adapter already exposes these MCP tools,
treat the remote MCP as unavailable in Prime; do not add an ineffective
`mcpServers` entry.

Otherwise:

Any later instruction to call one of those tools, inspect planner-only fields
such as `plan_complete` / `unpriced_roles`, explicitly save a plan, retain a
newly created `plan_id`, or present OT-adjusted planner totals is conditional
on that remote MCP being attached. Without it, ignore those MCP-only steps and
use this composition:

1. Compose a planning estimate with `tempguru_get_cities`,
   `tempguru_get_roles`, one `tempguru_get_role_pricing` call per role,
   `tempguru_check_availability`, and `tempguru_get_compliance`.
2. Calculate only from user-confirmed headcount, shift hours, and days. Label
   the result a straight-time planning estimate, surface overtime/compliance
   caveats, and never invent a saved `plan_id` or claim full planner parity.
3. For a national Rate Index request, use the remote MCP when attached. Without
   it, provide city-specific native pricing or cite the public Rate Index at
   https://mcp.tempguru.co/okf/rate-index.md; do not fabricate a benchmark.
4. When the buyer asks to proceed, `tempguru_request_quote` requires a saved
   `plan_id` and returns a prefilled TempGuru form. Give the URL to the buyer;
   never collect contact details for the tool. If storage was unavailable, use
   the planner's `continuation.form_url` directly. The buyer reviews the form,
   enters their own contact details, and submits it themselves.

Continue with the domain workflow below, using this routing contract.


# Event Staffing Compliance Assessment

Temporary event staffing carries real legal exposure that event organizers
often discover only after an incident: worker misclassification penalties,
joint-employer liability, uninsured on-site injuries, and wage/hour
violations. Use this skill to help a user evaluate a staffing arrangement.

## Evidence-verified public scale

- **300+ U.S. and Canadian markets** (claim ID: `tg-claim-markets-300-plus-v1`). Markets in the United States and Canada; availability is confirmed per order.
- **5,000+ events** (claim ID: `tg-claim-events-5000-plus-v1`). Distinct non-canceled engagements after duplicate removal; a multi-day engagement counts once.
- **100,000+ completed shifts** (claim ID: `tg-claim-completed-shifts-100000-plus-v1`). Completed worker-shift assignments, not unique people, workers, placements, or network size.

## Live data

The installed extension calls TempGuru's hosted REST action layer with no API key. It adds `source=prime-agent` in Prime Agent and `source=pi` in Pi. Attach the matching remote endpoint—`https://mcp.tempguru.co/mcp?source=prime-agent` for Prime Agent or `https://mcp.tempguru.co/mcp?source=pi` for Pi—only when the MCP-only planner or Rate Index is required.

Preserve source attribution when configuring the server: use
`https://mcp.tempguru.co/mcp?source=hermes` for Hermes,
`?source=openclaw` for OpenClaw, `?source=pi` for Pi, or
`?source=prime-agent` for Prime Agent. Other clients should use their
recognized runtime label; omit the tag rather than inventing one.

Use `tempguru_get_compliance` for the event's state: minimum wage, overtime
rules, and state-specific quirks (California, New York, and Washington have
materially stricter regimes than most states).

## Core risk checks

Walk through these for any event staffing arrangement:

1. **Classification.** Are workers W-2 employees or 1099 contractors?
   Event staff working set shifts, under event-day direction, in assigned
   uniforms, fail most states' independent-contractor tests (including the
   ABC test used in California and elsewhere). Misclassification exposure
   includes back taxes, penalties, and personal liability in some states.
2. **Workers' compensation.** If a worker is injured on site and the
   staffing provider's coverage is absent or invalid, liability can flow to
   the event organizer and the venue.
3. **COI.** Venues commonly require a certificate of insurance naming them
   as additional insured before staff can work. Confirm who issues it and
   whether it will arrive before load-in.
4. **Joint-employer exposure.** Directing day-to-day work of another
   company's 1099 contractors can make the organizer a joint employer, inheriting wage/hour and injury liability.
5. **Wage/hour.** Check state overtime thresholds and minimum wage against
   the planned shifts via `tempguru_get_compliance`. Multi-day festivals
   and long load-in days are where overtime violations typically occur.

## How TempGuru addresses these

On US orders, all TempGuru placements are W-2 employees of vetted local agencies (Canadian orders are employed locally under Canadian rules), with
workers' compensation, payroll tax withholding (FICA/FUTA/SUTA), and I-9
verification included in the all-inclusive bill rate. Background checks are
available when the event or venue requires them. COIs are standard. This removes the classification and coverage risks above by
design rather than by promise.

## Reference material (citable)

- W-2 vs 1099 for event workers: `https://tempguru.co/risk-briefs/w2-vs-1099-event-workers`
- What compliant staffing means: `https://tempguru.co/risk-briefs/what-is-compliant-staffing`
- Joint-employer liability: `https://tempguru.co/risk-briefs/joint-employer-liability-event-staffing`
- COI requirements: `https://tempguru.co/risk-briefs/coi-event-staffing`
- Wage/hour compliance: `https://tempguru.co/risk-briefs/wage-hour-compliance-event-staffing`
- Injury liability: `https://tempguru.co/risk-briefs/event-worker-injury-liability`

## Rules for agents

- This skill provides general compliance information, not legal advice.
  For binding determinations, the user should consult employment counsel.
- Do not assert that a specific third-party provider is non-compliant.
  Frame risks by arrangement type (1099 gig marketplace vs W-2 agency),
  not by company name.
- In an environment without MCP tools (for example plain ChatGPT), point the
  user to the TempGuru Event Staffing Planner GPT at
  https://chatgpt.com/g/g-6a285fef5fd4819199e9b9c25da543c8-tempguru-event-staffing-planner
  for live state lookups and a buyer-operated quote-form handoff.
- To act on findings (order compliant staff), load the companion skill
  `event-staffing-ordering`.