Dutch Agency Work: Rights & Proposed Three-Year Limit

Prices, fees and rules in this article were checked on 1 November 2026. They can change, so check the linked pages before you decide.

Dutch agency work could change under a proposal to limit how long workers can be assigned to the same company. On 29 October 2026, the Dutch government opened consultation on the Wet tijdelijkheid van inlenen. Its announcement describes a three-year limit and a direct employment offer if the hiring company wants the worker to continue.

The proposal is still under consultation. It is not a new automatic entitlement to a permanent job after three years. This guide explains the distinction and the existing contract, pay, sickness and safety questions to check if you work through an uitzendbureau.

1. What the three-year proposal says

The government announcement describes a maximum of three years, or 36 months, with the same hiring company. The published draft provides the more precise legal wording.

For workers supplied under a fixed-term employment contract, draft Article 8d uses a threshold of 156 weeks of assignment to the same hirer, including weeks that are not consecutive. The draft also addresses assignments regardless of which provider supplies the worker.

Before that threshold is reached, the hirer would have to give the worker a written offer of an indefinite employment contract, with at least the existing employment conditions, or written notice that the assignment will not continue. For the fixed-term-contract route, the draft specifies at least four weeks’ advance notice of that choice.

There are therefore two possible outcomes in the draft. It does not promise that every assignment continues or that an employment relationship transfers automatically.

2. Is the proposal already law?

No: as checked on 1 November 2026, this is an active consultation proposal. The official consultation page lists 29 October 2026 as the start date and 24 November 2026 as the closing date. It provides the draft legislation and explanatory memorandum.

The draft does not set a fixed commencement date: it says commencement would be determined by royal decree. Do not treat the consultation closing date as the day the rules take effect.

The explanatory memorandum also distinguishes fixed-term agency contracts from indefinite agency contracts. For indefinite contracts, it proposes an open standard requiring the assignment to remain temporary, rather than automatically applying the same numerical limit in every situation. The memorandum identifies a broader scope that includes payroll workers.

For readers, the question is therefore not simply how long you have worked at one location. Your contractual employer, contract type and assignment history all matter when considering what the proposed change might mean.

3. Who is your employer?

Under an ordinary agency arrangement, you sign your employment contract with the agency, while carrying out your work at another company. That company is the inlener, or hirer. The agency pays your wages; the hirer directs the work at its workplace.

Work in NL’s agency guidance advises workers to check the agency’s Chamber of Commerce registration and certification, ask for clear arrangements about hours and wages, and obtain a copy of the contract.

Keep that contract alongside assignment confirmations and payslips. If the agency name changes while your workplace stays the same, retain both sets of records. A clear timeline makes it easier for an adviser to understand which relationship continued and which document changed.

For general concepts such as probation and notice periods, see our guide to Dutch employment contracts. Agency contracts require their own additional checks.

4. Pay and working conditions

Rijksoverheid’s current guidance says agencies must treat workers equally to people employed by the hirer in equal or equivalent roles for specified employment conditions. It also notes that collective labour agreements may contain arrangements that differ from statutory rules; ask which agreement applies.

Source: Rijksoverheid, checked 1 November 2026. Your applicable collective agreement and individual circumstances must also be examined.

Start a pay query with your role, hours, payslip and the agency’s written explanation. A difference in take-home pay alone does not establish its cause. Our Dutch minimum-wage guide covers the separate statutory wage floor.

5. Your contract and the uitzendbeding

An uitzendbeding is a temporary employment clause linking the agency employment arrangement to the assignment. It can affect what happens when the hirer ends the work. Do not assume that ending an assignment and dismissing a directly employed worker follow identical procedures.

Work in NL’s contract guidance explains that rights depend on the contract, the applicable collective labour agreement, the phase of employment and whether this clause applies. ABU and NBBU agreements use phase systems; a permanent agency contract is distinct from direct employment by the hirer.

Ask the agency to identify your phase, the collective agreement and any clause concerning the end of an assignment. Keep the answer in writing. Check hours and pay arrangements separately, rather than relying on the label “temporary worker” to explain every condition.

6. What happens if you become ill?

Report illness promptly and check the reporting instructions for your assignment. UWV’s agency-worker guidance says a sick agency worker should notify the company where they work as soon as possible; that company must promptly inform the agency.

UWV distinguishes several situations. For agencies affiliated with ABU or NBBU, it says the agency cannot terminate the agreement because of sickness and continues wage payment up to the contract’s end. If the contract ends while the worker remains ill, the agency must arrange the relevant sickness-benefit application.

Other arrangements require a separate assessment, including whether an applicable temporary employment clause is invoked. Do not rely on a general statement that illness always ends an agency contract, or that every agency worker receives identical sickness cover. Ask which UWV situation applies and check the contract and collective agreement. These rules were checked on 1 November 2026.

7. Workplace safety

The government’s Arboportaal says both the agency and hirer have responsibilities for agency workers’ health and safety, with the hirer carrying the greatest responsibility at the workplace.

The agency must inform workers about workplace risks. The hirer must provide the agency with the relevant risk assessment information before the assignment. Clarify whom to contact about instructions, protective equipment or unsafe tasks before starting work. The fact that your wages come from an agency does not remove the hirer’s workplace-safety responsibilities.

8. What to check now and where to get help

Prepare these documents and questions before discussing your position:

• Your employment contract, extensions and assignment confirmations.
• The agency’s legal name and the company where you actually work.
• Your contract type, collective agreement and employment phase.
• The wording of any temporary employment clause.
• Payslips, working hours and the explanation of your wage classification.
• A timeline of assignments, including breaks and agency changes.
• Any written notice, sickness report or proposed replacement contract.

Work in NL information points provide free explanations and advice about contracts, wages, housing and related matters. Check the location page for opening hours and language availability; staff assist in your language where possible.

If you suspect an agency is breaking employment rules, Rijksoverheid also links to the Netherlands Labour Authority’s complaint route. A contract dispute and an inspection complaint may require different help, so explain the outcome you need when seeking advice.

9. FAQ

Do I automatically get a permanent job after three years?

No. The proposal distinguishes a direct indefinite-contract offer from written notice that an assignment will stop. It is still under consultation and does not establish an automatic right to continued employment.

Is a permanent agency contract the same as a permanent contract with the hirer?

No. The agency and hirer are different organisations. Check which one is named as your employer before comparing the proposed assignment limit with your employment phase.

Should I change my contract because of this announcement?

The announcement alone is not a reason to sign a replacement contract. First establish your existing terms and obtain advice about any proposed change. The consultation materials can change before a final law takes effect.

🇳🇱 Dutch Corner

Sources

• Rijksoverheid: Inzet uitzendkrachten wordt begrensd in tijd — announcement, 29 October 2026.
• Overheid.nl: Wet tijdelijkheid van inlenen consultation — status, dates and original documents.
• Draft bill: Wijziging WAADI — proposed Article 8d and commencement provision.
• Explanatory memorandum: Wijziging WAADI — scope and distinction between contract types.
• Rijksoverheid: Employment conditions for agency workers.
• Work in NL: Employment agency.
• Work in NL: Employment agency agreement.
• UWV: Agency workers and illness.
• Arboportaal: Agency workers.
• Work in NL: Information points.

Sources checked 1 November 2026. Author: The Dutch Daily.