Decent work for all

For decent work in the temporary staffing sector

In temporary work, an employee is “assigned” by one employer to another employer. This means that when an employer (the staffing agency) assigns an employee (the temporary worker) to a third party (the client company) to perform work, this constitutes temporary work. This can be described as a triangular relationship.

Infographic:Temporary work depicted as a triangular relationship between the staffing agency, the client company, and the temporary worker

Temporary staffing is widespread
Temporary staffing exists in many companies. Temporary workers are primarily deployed in production, but also in many other areas across various departments. Although they have an employment contract with their staffing agency, they work at the client company as part of the workforce. The terms “temporary work,” “labor leasing,” or “personnel leasing” also describe this employment relationship.

Abuse of Temporary Work
Temporary work can be a tool for companies to achieve necessary flexibility, such as during peak order periods or to cover for sick leave and parental leave. However, when temporary work is abused—by replacing permanent positions or by failing to pay temporary workers fairly—it leads to the exploitation of workers. IG Metall, together with its members, is fighting against this.

The wages of most temporary agency workers are regulated by collective bargaining agreements of the DGB (German Trade Union Federation) and its member unions—which include IG Metall. These collective bargaining agreements were secured despite resistance from employers and ensure regular wage increases.

Earnings by Pay Grade
Exact earnings depend on the job and the corresponding classification into a pay grade. In the lowest pay grade, temporary agency workers currently earn 15.33 euros per hour, which is also the minimum wage for temporary agency work. You can find the earnings for the various pay grades here.

IG Metall Industry-Specific Surcharges
In the industries organized by IG Metall, there are so-called industry-specific bonuses. These increase employees’ earnings starting on their first day. And they continue to rise the longer they work at a client company. You can find the exact amounts by industry here.

The industries organized by IG Metall that offer industry-specific bonuses include the metal and electrical industries, the wood and plastics industries, and the textile and apparel industries.

Advice and Membership
As an IG Metall member, you can get personalized advice at a local office. You can join here.

Additional Payments
Temporary agency workers also receive vacation pay and a Christmas bonus. Union members working as temporary agency workers also benefit from an extra payment in addition to their vacation pay and Christmas bonus—the “Temporary Agency Work Member Benefit.” The amount depends on the length of employment with the staffing agency and will continue to increase with future collective bargaining agreement raises. You can find out everything you need to know about the Member Benefit and how to apply for it here.

Advice and Membership
As an IG Metall member, you can get personalized advice on your earnings from your local IG Metall office. Not a member yet? You can join online here.

Temporary agency workers are entitled to vacation pay and a Christmas bonus if certain requirements are met:

• If the staffing agency is a member of the GVP employers’ association: then the collective bargaining agreements negotiated between the GVP and the DGB collective bargaining association apply, which also cover vacation pay and Christmas bonuses.
• Duration of employment: Temporary agency workers must have been employed by the agency for more than six months (as of June 30 or November 30).
• Union membership: You must have been a member of IG Metall or another DGB union for at least six months to be entitled to the benefits provided under the collective bargaining agreements.

The amount of the vacation and Christmas bonuses increases with the length of employment with the staffing agency and in line with general collective bargaining increases in the temporary staffing sector (“collective bargaining dynamics”). You can find the current amounts here.

Member Benefit: Temporary Work
Members of IG Metall or another DGB union receive an additional payment on top of their vacation pay and Christmas bonus if they have been members for at least six months as of the cutoff dates of June 30 or November 30. This additional payment also increases with the length of employment and collective bargaining increases. You can find all the important information about the member benefit and how to apply for it here.

Temporary agency workers generally have the same rights as other employees. These include:

• Vacation Entitlement
• Right to report sick and receive pay in the event of illness
• Support from the works council
• Membership in a union

Protection Against Dismissal
Temporary agency workers have the same protection against termination as other employees. Fixed requirements and specific notice periods apply to termination by the employer (the staffing agency). Unfortunately, many temporary agency workers are also terminated after being deregistered from the client company. If a staffing agency does this for “operational reasons” because it has no new assignments, this is unfortunately often permissible. If you are terminated, be sure to seek advice from your IG Metall officeas a member. You canbecome a member online here.

Two works councils are responsible
Due to the unique structure of temporary work, temporary workers may contact both the works council at the staffing agency and the works council at the client company. And IG Metall supports its members with any issues through counseling and legal representation. You can find your local IG Metall officehere.

IG Metall is the union for temporary agency workers, especially those working in industries organized by IG Metall. These include:

• the metal and electrical industries,
• the wood and plastics industry,
• the textile and apparel industry or
• the skilled trades.

Not yet an IG Metall member? You can join directly online here.

For temporary agency workers in other industries, membership in another relevant DGB union may be advisable.

For most temporary agency workers, the collective bargaining agreements of the DGB bargaining association with the employers’ association GVP apply. Most employers in the temporary agency sector are organized within this association (covering over 90 percent of all temporary agency workers). Therefore, these collective bargaining agreements apply to them and their temporary agency workers. Accordingly, the DGB collective bargaining agreements do not apply to staffing agencies that are not GVP members, do not have a collective bargaining agreement, or have their own collective bargaining agreements.

The so-called maximum assignment period refers to the maximum length of time that individual temporary agency workers may be assigned to a client company. By law, this period is 18 months. If a temporary agency worker is reassigned to the same client company after a three-month period without having been assigned there, the period starts over. In companies in the metal and electrical industries, collective bargaining agreements and company agreements may provide for exceptions to this rule. However, these exceptions are generally accompanied by an obligation to hire the worker permanently and significant improvements for temporary agency workers.