Netherlands: Government to Explore More Stringent Quality Controls for Staffing Agencies

In early June, the Dutch government approved a motion to explore tougher quality standards for staffing agencies in the country. Notably, the government will likely recommend higher-quality housing standards for workers employed through agencies. This move comes as the coronavirus outbreak focuses attention on the cramped working conditions for tens of thousands of predominantly Eastern European workers brought in and housed by staffing firms in the Netherlands.

The Council of State, an advisory body to the Dutch government, may also look into a draft 2019 plan to regulate migration in the EU. The extent of changes on the staffing front may be significant for the country’s 14,000-plus staffing agencies. Actual limitations on worker movement are unlikely, but concern has been raised about the volume of migrant workers, as well as the low pay and poor conditions afforded them by the agencies and their employers.

Takeaway: Concerns over the quality of staffing firms should not be limited to the exceptional situation of agencies importing and housing migrant workers. Every company that engages talent through a supplier should have the means to control the quality of treatment for flexible workers of all levels and skills. An MSP program provides the supply chain management expertise and oversight to deliver the right worker experience across all suppliers.

Netherlands: Government to Explore More Stringent Quality Controls for Staffing Agencies

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