OTHER NEWS - Dec. 25, 1993

No, They’re Taco Bell Consultants: It’s sometimes hard to tell the players without a score card. And in an era in which full-time employment is becoming less the norm, it can be difficult to determine the status of corporate workers. For example, The Times recently asked Taco Bell Corp. to explain its claim that the company’s Irvine office building houses some 250 consultants. A spokeswoman said the consultants are really part-time employees. But the company’s attorneys--who obviously have a score card in hand--subsequently reported that the consultants are indeed consultants, not part timers. So, to be absolutely clear: Taco Bell’s corporate headquarters is home to more than 900 full- and part-time employees--and about 250 consultants who handle a variety of administrative and support tasks, such as making travel arrangements for Taco Bell employees.