Refers to a work assignment of limited duration. The duration implied here is open to some debate. Most would agree that “short-term” means employment of a year or less. Some companies use six months as a cut-off for all temporary assignments; others use 1,000 or 1,500 hours to ensure compliance with federal legislation regarding mandated coverages. The U.S. Federal Government in its use of temporary employees provided by private-sector staffing companies allows a maximum of 240 workdays in a 24-month period.