Definition and classification
The AÜG (Arbeitnehmerüberlassungsgesetz) is the German act that governs the commercial leasing of employees . It protects temporary workers and sets the framework within which agencies and hirers may work together.
The act dates from 1972 and has been reformed several times. The 2017 reform brought the central tightening: a fixed maximum assignment period and a concrete definition of equal pay.
What exactly does the AÜG govern?
The core points are the licensing requirement for the agency (§ 1), the maximum assignment period of 18 months (§ 1 (1b)), the equal treatment rule and Equal Pay (§ 8), the temporary worker's right to information (§ 13) and the legal consequences of breaches (§§ 9, 10).
What are the consequences of breaches?
Depending on the breach, the contracts are void, an employment relationship with the hirer is deemed to exist, and there are fines and the loss of the license. Because the rules are tied to deadlines and to individual people, complying with them is an ongoing task – best monitored automatically rather than in spreadsheets.