Agency Work in its forms

What is Staff Leasing?

Staff leasing is a permanent commercial supply contract signed between an authorized Work Agency and a company (the so-called “user company”) for the professional provision of personnel.
By law, in the case of staff leasing, the Work Agency always employs workers under permanent contracts or professional apprenticeship schemes (see Art. 31, Legislative Decree No. 81/2015).

During the assignment, the staff leasing worker operates under the direction and supervision of the user company, in the same way as directly hired employees. If the commercial contract between the user company and the Work Agency is terminated, the worker’s assignment ends but NOT their employment contract with the Agency. The worker remains employed by the Work Agency, which then seeks to reassign them to another user company.

Therefore, staff leasing offers a model that combines flexibility for companies with protection for workers, in line with European policies promoting a more dynamic and inclusive labour market. Today, it is a structural component of the Italian labour market, representing a sustainable model of stable yet flexible employment that meets production needs while ensuring professional continuity for workers.

More protections for workers in Staff Leasing

Temporary agency work guarantees, by law, equal economic and contractual treatment compared to directly employed workers, as well as occupational continuity, ongoing training, contractual welfare, and access to social safety nets.
Every month, around 500.000 people work under temporary agency contracts: more than one in three hold a permanent contract. In addition, approximately 15,000 employees work within Employment Agencies themselves, under stable and regulated contracts—most of whom are women.

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Protections in perseverance of employment relationship

Staff leasing workers are entitled ope legis to the same economic and contractual rights as workers directly hired by the user company (see Art. 35, para. 1, Legislative Decree No. 81/2015).

Staff leasing workers are protected in the event of a reduction or suspension of activity at the user company to which they are assigned. In such cases, the Solidarity Fund grants a Wage Integration Allowance equivalent to the ordinary redundancy fund (see Art. 10, point 7, CLA 2025).

The Work Agency and the user company are jointly liable for the payment of wages and related social security contributions (see Art. 35, para. 2, Legislative Decree No. 81/2015).

In the event of a business crisis at the user company, the staff leasing worker continues to receive pay or an availability allowance, along with continued social security contributions from the Work Agency.

In addition to the benefits provided by the user company, staff leasing workers benefit from a sectoral contractual welfare system managed by the bilateral body E.Bi.Temp, offering a wide range of protections and benefits unique in Europe and worldwide (see Annex “Benefits Table”, CLA 2025).

Training, upskilling, and reskilling for agency workers are managed by the bilateral fund Forma.Temp, established by law and financed through an additional 4% contribution set by legislation (see Art. 12, Legislative Decree no. 276/2003). Training is free for workers and supported by a placement obligation, as governed by the National Collective Agreement, confirming its effectiveness in promoting employability (see Art. 11, CLA 2025).

To safeguard workers’ wage and social security claims, Work Agencies must provide a security deposit of €350.000 for the first two years of operation and, from the third year onwards, a surety bond (see Art. 5, Legislative Decree No. 276/2003).

In case of insolvency of the Work Agency, workers—like directly hired employees—are entitled to preferential creditor status, covering all wages due, including severance pay (see Art. 2751-bis, No. 1, Civil Code).

Protections in case of assignment termination: the sectoral National Collective Labour Agreement

When an assignment ends, a permanent staff leasing worker employed by a Work Agency is covered by a system of protections established under the National Collective Labor Agreement signed on July 21, 2025, by Assolavoro and the most representative Trade Unions.

While awaiting reassignment, the worker remains available to the Agency and is entitled to an availability allowance of €1.000 per month during periods without active assignments (see Art. 34, Legislative Decree No. 81/2015 and Art. 32, CLA 2025).
During these periods, the Agency must ensure the worker’s skills are maintained and, where possible, enhanced to support re-employment.

The process aimed at maintaining and improving the worker’s employability to facilitate re-employment is called the “Reassignment Procedure” (so-called “Procedura di Ricollocazione”).
It involves signing a professional requalification agreement with trade unions. During the procedure—lasting at least six months—the worker receives an increased allowance of at least €1.150 per month (see Art. 25, CLA 2025).

  • CV Basket: Within 120 days of the agreement, the Agency enters data of non-reassigned workers into the sectoral database “CV Basket,” accessible to all Work Agencies to enhance job-matching opportunities (see Art. 25-bis, CLA 2025).
  • Fair assignment proposal: The Agency must offer job opportunities deemed “suitable” in relation to the worker’s previous assignment (see Art. 50, CLA 2025).
  • Multiple Reassignment Procedure (PRP): This mechanism manages multiple assignment interruptions or non-renewals of permanent staff. It lasts seven months, during which the worker receives €1.150 per month. The Agency and local trade unions may sign an agreement defining the content of training programs (minimum duration: 60 hours) (see Art. 25-ter, CLA 2025).
  • Territorial Mobility: This measure provides financial support for workers who accept job offers far from their residence (see Annex “Benefits Table”, CLA 2025).

Only after completing these procedures, if reassignment has not been achieved, may the Agency proceed with dismissal for objective justified reason.

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Protections after termination of the permanent employment contract

If the permanent staff leasing employment contract is terminated, the same legal framework and protections applicable to directly hired employees applies (see Law No. 604/1966).

In addition to the standard unemployment benefit (so-called “NASpI”), staff leasing workers are entitled to sector-specific support measures established through collective bargaining.

A one-off payment of €1.000 is provided by the sectoral bilateral fund E.Bi.Temp (see Art. 10, point 6, CLA 2025).

Requalification programs are offered to unemployed staff leasing workers (see Art. 12, CLA 2025).

The sectoral bilateral fund E.Bi.Temp provides financial incentives to promote reassignment and occupational continuity:

  1. A €1.500 incentive for assignments lasting at least 12 continuous months with the same user company;
  2. An annual incentive ranging from €2.000 to €3.000 to support the reassignment of permanent staff leasing workers in availability status.

What the data say about Staff Leasing

An important driver for work's stabilisation

Data drawn from the Comunicazioni Obbligatorie database — made available through an agreement between the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies and Roma Tre University — show that 58,3% of permanent staff leasing contracts last more than 24 months.

This figure is even more positive when compared with permanent contracts directly signed by companies, of which 55,5% exceed two years.

Staff Leasing: a suitable tool to support workers through labour market transitions

In today’s labour market — marked by frequent transitions between different employment conditions and by the need to balance work, training, and private life — staff leasing emerges as an effective tool to support workers during periods of change.

An analysis of post-contract employment paths shows that, among those who conclude a permanent staff leasing contract, 65,9% subsequently enter a direct permanent employment relationship with an employer.

Overall, for workers ending a staff leasing contract, a return to permanent employment occurs in 71,3% of cases.

Permanent contract and re-employment

For workers employed on a permanent basis through a Work Agency and engaged in fixed-term assignments, a return to direct permanent employment occurs in 41,4% of cases. Overall, for this group, re-employment in a stable job takes place in 57,1% of cases.
By contrast, among workers who end a direct permanent employment relationship with a company, a return to a similar permanent contract occurs in 53% of cases. When including permanent staff leasing contracts, the rate remains virtually unchanged (53,3%).

Permanent employment is more frequent through Work Agencies

The share of workers who obtain a permanent contract within two years is higher among those who have experienced agency work (33,2%) compared to those directly employed by companies (19%).
Moreover, the share of workers who exit the formal labour market after 24 months is lower among those who have worked through a Work Agency (25,6%) than among directly employed workers (33,6%).

What people say about Staff Leasing

sondaggio IPSOS somministrazione 2025

The IPSOS Report on Agency Work (2025)

Agency workers employed under a permanent contract report higher job satisfaction and better relationship with the companies where they work compared to their directly hired counterparts (44% vs. 38%); they place significantly greater value on salary (37% vs. 30%) and welfare provisions (37% vs. 27%). This is the portrait of Agency workers outlined by Ipsos for Assolavoro, in comparison with directly employed workers holding permanent contracts. The findings are presented in the report published in May 2025 on the Italian labour market and the role of Work Agencies.

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