MSA (master service agreement)

A master service agreement (MSA) is the umbrella contract between a business and a staffing agency. It sets the terms that apply to every order: rates or how rates are set, invoicing and payment terms, insurance, liability and indemnity, conversion fees, safety responsibilities, and how disputes are handled. Individual orders then only need the details of the shift. Larger and multi-site customers usually sign an MSA; smaller businesses often work under the agency's standard terms. Read the conversion, cancellation and indemnity clauses closely.