Can the client I work for hire me directly?
Last updated: November 11, 2026
Applies to: Workers placed with a client by a staffing agency and employed or paid through Ascen: US W-2 employees, Canadian T4 employees and independent contractors. If you are employed outside the US and Canada, ask your in-country HR contact instead, because they handle your employment there.
Summary: Possibly. Clients do sometimes hire a worker directly (often called a direct hire, going permanent, or converting to a permanent employee), but that decision is made by your staffing agency and the client, not by Ascen. If the client wants to hire you directly, tell your staffing agency, and ask the client manager whether they want to move forward with a direct-hire conversion through your agency.
Who to talk to
Your staffing agency (your staffing partner, the agency that placed you). Let them know the client may want to hire you directly. Your agency manages your assignment and any move from your Ascen assignment to a direct hire.
The client manager you spoke with. Ask whether they want to move forward with a direct-hire conversion through your agency.
Ascen handles your employment paperwork, payroll and compliance, so we do not decide whether a direct hire goes ahead. If you started paperwork with the client and the hire was stopped because you work through a staffing agency, the next step is the same: talk to your agency and the client manager. If you do not know how to reach your staffing agency, email support@ascen.com and we will tell you who placed you and how to reach them.
What changes with Ascen if the hire goes ahead
Your agency tells us the conversion date. This is the first day you work for the client directly rather than through Ascen.
Your Ascen assignment ends on that date.
Only enter time on your Ascen assignment for days before that date. Hours from your first day on the client's own payroll do not belong on your Ascen assignment, and any time entered for those dates is removed. Submit your hours for your last days while the assignment is still open.
Approved hours before that date are paid as normal. For US employees, when your final paycheck is due depends on the state you work in: see Your final paycheck when an assignment ends. Independent contractors are paid for their last hours on their usual net terms: see How independent contractors are paid (net terms). Canadian T4 employees also receive a Record of Employment.
Your Ascen benefits end. If you are enrolled in health benefits through Ascen, your coverage ends when your Ascen employment ends, not at the end of the plan year. Before your last day, email support@ascen.com to confirm your last day of coverage. See When do my health benefits end?
Unused PTO or vacation pay. US employees: if your assignment has a PTO plan, whether your balance is paid out depends on the plan and where you work. See Is my unused PTO paid out when I leave? Canadian T4 employees: unused earned vacation pay is owed to you when your employment ends; see Vacation pay and statutory holidays in Canada.
If you are a US W-2 employee, you may receive a Notice of Separation. Some states require one when an assignment ends. It is a routine record, not a mark against you. Independent contractors do not receive one. See What a Notice of Separation means (and why it doesn't affect future assignments).
Your documents and tax forms stay with Ascen
You can still log in at app.ascen.com after your assignment ends. Your signed agreements and tax forms stay on your Documents page.
Any year-end tax form you are due for pay you received through Ascen comes from Ascen (for example a W-2 or a T4), even after your assignment has ended. See Where to find your tax documents for the year.
Keep your address current so any mailed copy of your tax form reaches you. See How do I update my address after my assignment ends?
Where to get help
Your staffing agency: whether a direct hire can go ahead, your conversion date, your last day on the Ascen assignment, and your timesheets.
Ascen (support@ascen.com): your final pay, tax forms, the end date of your benefits, and your contact details.