Labor Finders Names Tampa's Destiney Woods 2026 National "Employee of the Year"

Tampa, FL (May 6, 2026) — Labor Finders, the oldest and largest privately held industrial staffing company in the U.S., today named Tampa, Florida resident Destiney Woods as the winner of its 2026 “Employee of the Year” contest. Selected from a national pool of nominees spanning nearly 200 Labor Finders branches across 24 states, Woods is being recognized for an extraordinary work ethic, a positive attitude clients call “inspirational,” and a personal story that has inspired co-workers, clients, and managers across the Tampa Bay region — all while she actively battles Stage 4 cancer. 

Woods first applied to Labor Finders in mid-2023 after a years-long stretch in which her 2020 cancer diagnosis, and the periodic time off her treatment required, had repeatedly cost her job opportunities elsewhere. “I almost gave up until I went to Labor Finders,” she said. “Some employers saw my condition as an obstacle, but Labor Finders put me to work right away.” Within weeks, she had begun to rack up an impressive track record with clients and co-workers. Three years later, she has worked an extraordinary range of industrial-sector roles for the company — light industrial, assembly, warehousing, retail, and most frequently, road safety flagging — standing for long hours in the Florida heat, directing traffic, and managing job-site safety, often between rounds of treatment. 

The annual contest, now in its 16th consecutive year, recognizes the temporary associate whose story best embodies Labor Finders’ mission: “Driving Success and Changing Lives Through Meaningful Employment Partnerships”. Woods’ story delivers on all dimensions — and, judges said, redefines what each of them can mean. 

“Since Labor Finders was established in 1975, our company has been ‘driving success and changing lives,’ and Destiney Woods personifies that mission in a way that is simply impossible to forget,” said Jeffrey Burnett, CEO of Labor Finders. “She is doing remarkable work for our clients under circumstances that would sideline almost anyone, and she is doing it with a smile, a sense of humor, and a positivity that lifts up everyone around her. Our outstanding temporary associates represent best-in-class talent across America, and Destiney is a powerful reminder of the human impact our company has had for more than 50 years.” 

As Labor Finders’ 2026 “Employee of the Year” winner, Ms. Woods will receive a $3,000 check and a commemorative plaque. Under the leadership of Branch Manager Jacci Branch, the company’s Tampa office will also be honored with the fourth annual “Newt Burnett Changing Lives Award,” named after Labor Finders’ founder, recognizing the branch team that surrounded Woods with the proactive communication, scheduling flexibility, and advocacy that allowed her career to thrive. Woods will also represent Labor Finders as the company’s nominee for the American Staffing Association (ASA) National Staffing Employee of the Year award, a prestigious annual recognition of an outstanding temporary or contract employee in the U.S. staffing industry. 

Woods’ path is also a window into a workforce trend that local economies across Labor Finders’ markets are increasingly grappling with: how to keep skilled, motivated workers connected to good-paying industrial jobs when traditional, rigid full-time employment no longer fits their lives. “Every job I put in, they said ‘are you disabled?’ and I was honest — I was fighting cancer — and they wouldn’t hire me. ‘That’s a liability,’ they’d say,” Woods recalled of her experience before Labor Finders. The Tampa branch instead built her schedule around her treatment cycles — typically a week of recovery every few months — and matched her with clients who valued her output.  

“Destiney shows up out there in the field with determination, and she lifts up those around her with her positivity every single day,” said Branch. “I promise you, every customer that works with her gives her nothing but amazing marks. She has built a personal brand here in Tampa that any worker in any industry would be proud of.” Today, Branch points out, clients regularly request her by name. 

Woods said she hopes to use the platform of the award to inspire others facing serious health challenges or other barriers to traditional employment. “This is way bigger than winning,” she said. “This gets the story out. There’s always hope, and there’s always someone who can believe in you. No matter what your condition, no matter where you are in life — you can have it. You just gotta want it.” 

Media Availability: Photos, b-roll, and on-camera interviews with Destiney Woods, Branch Manager Jacci Branch, and Labor Finders CEO Jeffrey Burnett are available upon request. Contact media@laborfinders.com. 

About Labor Finders: 

Founded in 1975 and based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, Labor Finders International is the oldest and largest privately held industrial staffing company in the United States. Partnering with thousands of businesses to augment their workforce, the company operates from nearly 200 local branches across 24 states. A proud and active member of the American Staffing Association, Labor Finders has consistently received top honors in the ClearlyRated® Best of Staffing® Client Satisfaction recognition for an industry-leading seventeen consecutive years. An industry pioneer, Labor Finders is dedicated to driving success and changing lives, for both its clients and associates. 

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