Leihnehmer

Leihnehmer is a term used in German labor law to describe the company that temporarily uses a worker provided by a Leiharbeitsunternehmen (staff leasing company). In practice, the Leihnehmer is also referred to as the Entleiher (the recipient of the assignment). The worker remains employed by the Leiharbeitsunternehmen, which leases the worker to the Leihnehmer for a defined period to carry out specified tasks.

The Leihnehmer acts as the deployment site for the temporary worker, directing tasks, issuing work instructions and organizing daily work. The legal framework for this arrangement is the Arbeitnehmerüberlassungsgesetz (AÜG). It regulates the relationships among the Verleiher (lending company), the Leihnehmer and the Leiharbeiter; the Leiharbeiter stays on the Verleiher’s payroll, while the Leihnehmer typically pays a fee to the Verleiher to cover the worker’s employment costs and administration.

Responsibilities of the Leihnehmer include ensuring a safe work environment, providing the necessary equipment and access, and treating the Leiharbeiter in accordance with the terms applicable to comparable permanent staff, including aspects of pay and working conditions after a defined period. A key element is equal treatment (Gleichbehandlung): after a certain duration in the same Leihnehmer workplace, the temporary worker should receive wages and benefits comparable to those of regular employees in similar roles, subject to applicable collective agreements.

The duration of the assignment is regulated by law and can be influenced by collective agreements; extensions are possible if compliant with statutory rules. Typical use cases span industries such as manufacturing, logistics, construction and healthcare, where the Leihnehmer benefits from flexible staffing while the Leiharbeiter gains employment opportunities through the leasing company.