Snow Laborer

Work description

Temporary Need Statement I. Background SFP Landscaping, Inc. (established in 1982) is a St. Louis, MO-based employer engaged primarily in property maintenance services. We have a temporary, seasonal need for 8 workers to be employed as Snow Laborers (SOC 37-2011.00 Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners). While we have made use of the H-2B program to meet other business needs, this is our first time seeking to employ Snow Laborers. Historically, we have relied on temporary U.S. workers to meet our seasonal labor needs. In recent years, however, we have found it difficult to locate a sufficient number of qualified and available U.S. workers to fill the job positions, and have thus turned to the H-2B program. II. Regulatory Standards Per the regulations, a seasonal labor need is one in which the employers need for services or labor is traditionally tied to a season of the year by an event or pattern and is of a recurring nature. Employment is not considered seasonal if the period during which the services or labor is not needed is unpredictable or subject to change, or is considered a vacation period for the employers permanent employees. The request for seasonal workers must also represent bona fide job opportunities for the number of workers requested. III. Temporary Need A. Period of Need Our labor need is tied to the requested period of need by both natural factors such as sunlight, weather, and temperature, as well as fluctuations in consumer demand and other market conditions throughout the year. This pattern is both predictable and recurring, and is not a vacation period for our permanent employees. Our labor need begins in November, with the arrival of colder weather conditions that require active and ongoing winter maintenance services. During this period, snowfall and freezing temperatures increase significantly across Missouri, creating the need for reliable snow and ice removal to ensure public safety and operational continuity for our clients (Figure 1). Consumer demand for our services rises sharply as weather conditions worsen, driving business activity and necessitating a larger workforce to meet the seasonal surge. Figure 1, Average Monthly Snowfall in St. Louis, MO. https://weatherspark.com/y/12083/Average-Weather-in-St.-Louis-Missouri-United-States-Year-Round Figure 1 shows that our requested period of need (11/01 04/10) aligns substantially with the period of peak snowfall in the area of intended employment. Because snowfall is necessarily a seasonal phenomenon in our region, we require Snow Laborers on a seasonal basis only. We have no need to employ Snow Laborers beyond the requested period of need because the lack of snowfall associated with the non-winter months of the year obviates the need for any such workers. In addition to the snow removal and janitorial storm clean-up work we perform during the winter months, we also see a significant demand for property labor at the beginning and end of our season. Throughout the contract period, we handle lawn winterization, extensive storm-related clean-up from wind events, heavy leaf drop, and general property maintenance to prepare ahead of snowfalls and deep freezes. It is vital that such work is completed in advance of the first major snowfall event, thus informing our November start date. Our clients rely on us to ensure their properties are safe, clean, and properly prepared for the cold months ahead. This need for seasonal workers concludes in early-April, when winter conditions begin to subside. The sampling of contracts (Tab A) provided clearly denotes winter-related work (see Figure 2 for excerpt), and this position is focused specifically on servicing those contracts. The excerpt and provided contracts clearly denote that they only cover the period of November 1st through April 10th, thus directly informing the requested dates of need. (continued on attachment)