https://alaskaseafoodprocessors.com/index.php?view=point_of_hire
In the seafood processing industry, the location where a person is officially hired is called the point of hire. At the point of hire, you will provide identification documents, complete paperwork, and undergo drug testing if required by the company. Some companies may have you to complete some of these steps electronically.
Regarding your point of hire, there are two options. Which option is used depends on the company.
In this scenario, you travel to a major city and meet your employer at a designated place, usually a hotel conference room. After you are hired, you receive your plane tickets and then travel to your work location in Alaska.
Companies that do this usually have three points of hire: Seattle for people who live in the continental US, Honolulu for Hawaiian residents, and Anchorage for Alaskan residents.
With this approach, if an issue prevents you from being hired, such as not having proper identification documents or failing a drug test, the company avoids wasting money on your plane ticket to Alaska.
You travel directly to your work location in Alaska, complete the hiring process, and are then hired. This is common for facilities that operate in Southcentral and Southeast Alaska.
When your point of hire is not the same as your work location, typically you must travel to your point of hire at your own expense. The company then flies you from your point of hire to your work location in Alaska. After the season is done, you are flown back to your point of hire by the company.
For example, let's say you accept a job with Westward Seafoods, and your point of hire is Seattle, WA, while your work location is Dutch Harbor, AK.
You will have to get to Seattle at your own expense. After you become an employee of Westward Seafoods, the company will fly you from Seattle to Unalaska. Once the season is over, assuming you are rehirable, Westward will fly you back to Seattle, and you will then travel from Seattle to your home at your own expense.
If you are flying directly to your work location in Alaska, there are a couple possibilities.
Your employer may require you to travel to your work location at your own expense. If you are unable to afford a plane ticket, your employer might pay for it and then deduct the cost from your first paychecks. Some of this expense may be reimbursed if you complete your contract successfully.
Another possibility is that your employer will fly you from Seattle or the nearest major airport directly to your work location.
Your point of hire is something to keep in mind so you can plan ahead and be prepared. Booking a hotel room in advance is a good idea, particularly right after Christmas. Or you can try spending the night at the Seattle airport, but there is nowhere comfortable to sleep until you get past TSA, and you are not allowed to check in until four hours before departure.
During your job interview, be sure to ask any questions you have.
