daf bit: Bava Metzia 110

[cellio]

The talmud is discussing the payment of workers' wages; the employer is responsible for paying the day laborers he hires that night (not holding their wages until morning). The g'mara raises the case of agency: if an employer tells his neighbor "go and hire me laborers" and they are not paid on time, who has transgressed? The answer appears to be that neither transgresses the commandment for prompt payment -- the employer did not himself hire them and the neighbor did not benefit from the labor. However, the neighbor is nonetheless responsible for the wages unless he said "the employer is responsible for your wages". Yehudah b. Meremar used to instruct his attendant to say this explicitly (so there would be no risk to his attendant). (110b-111a)

It seems to me that the case here must be one of uncompensated agency. If the neighbor gets a fee like the modern contract house or headhunter, I would expect that to be different because he is benefiting. That's not covered here, though.

Comments

[cellio]

Wow, interesting. I've never been a contractor or a temp, but I'm pretty sure PA isn't that good to employees.