detacheren

Detacheren is a form of temporary staffing in the Netherlands in which an employee remains employed by a detacheringsbedrijf (staffing agency) and is seconded to a client company to perform work for a defined period. The arrangement allows the client to access the employee’s expertise while the agency handles employment terms and HR administration.

In practice, detachering involves two contracts: an employment contract between the worker and the agency, and an assignment agreement between the agency and the client. The client supervises the day-to-day activities, while the agency pays wages, handles payroll, taxes, and benefits, and charges the client a fee for the service. The assignment can range from a few weeks to several months or longer, depending on the project or need.

Detachment is common in sectors that require specialized skills or temporary capacity, such as information technology, engineering, finance, and project-based work. It is distinct from uitzenden (temp placement), where the agency is the employer and the relationship with the worker is often more transient; detachering typically involves longer-term integration into the client’s operations and greater influence by the client over day-to-day tasks.

Legally, detachering is governed by Dutch labor law and applicable collective agreements. Workers must receive proper pay and equal treatment, and the arrangement should reflect genuine employment rights rather than circumvent them. The practice can raise concerns about “sham detachering” if used to avoid permanent employment obligations.

For clients, detachering offers flexibility, access to specialized expertise, and the ability to scale capacity without long-term commitments. For workers, it can provide varied project exposure and employment continuity through the agency. For agencies, detachering is a core business model combining recruitment, payroll, and client management.