Important changes in the collective labor agreement for temporary workers as of July 1, 2023

From July 1, several important matters have changed in the collective labor agreement for temporary workers. Good employment practices, security, and clarity for temporary workers and employers are the guiding principles in this.

What are the implications for employers? We have listed the three most important changes for you. We are also happy to tell you about the opportunities we see with the arrival of these changes.

1. Work experience counts in classification

When determining the salary, the relevant work experience of the temporary worker must be taken into account. These are the rules as of July 1, 2023:

• This means that the work experience of the temporary worker is recognized and that more conscious classification must be made at the start of the work. A temporary worker with relevant work experience cannot start at the lowest level of the job scale.
• When the temporary worker returns to the same client or to another client within the same collective labor agreement area, in a nearly identical position, the classification is based on at least the previous classification.
• If, based on the hirer's remuneration, during an interrupted contract period, where the interruption is no more than nine months, there is a step increase, this step must be granted as if there had been no contract interruption.
  For determining the relevant work experience, information about education, work experience, and competencies provided by the temporary worker is taken into account. The employment agency must properly record and assess the relevant work experience of the temporary worker. The temporary worker can request the employment agency to explain the classification, and the agency is obliged to comply with this request.

2. Granting of periodic increases

As of July 1, 2023, the principle is that the temporary worker always has the right to a periodic increase. Periodic increases are granted to temporary workers in the same way as they are to the client's employees. If granting a periodic increase at the client is dependent on the assessment of the temporary worker, the following applies:

• The temporary worker always receives a periodic increase unless it can be demonstrated that the temporary worker has received a negative assessment according to the rules and procedures at the client. In that case, the periodic increase does not need to be granted.
• If no assessment has taken place, or not in a timely manner, the temporary worker receives the periodic increase that is demonstrably the most common at the client.

3. The expansion of the hirer's remuneration

From July 1, 2023, the hirer's remuneration is expanded with the provision that all allowances and all expense reimbursements fall under the hirer's remuneration. Where this was previously only partially the case. Examples of reimbursements at clients that fall under the hirer's remuneration from July 1 include tool costs.