Hiring and posting staff: Waadi registration and Waadi check
Do you want to outsource or hire temporary staff in the Netherlands? You will have to deal with the Dutch Workers Allocation by Intermediaries Act. This is often referred to by the Dutch abbreviation: Waadi. The law aims to prevent the expoitation of workers. You may be fined if you do not comply. Read what you need to do.
What is the Workers Allocation by Intermediaries Act (Waadi)?
The Dutch government wants to combat the exploitation of workers and fraud. That is the purpose of the Waadi Act (in Dutch: Wet allocatie arbeidskrachten door intermediairs). For example:
- illegal labour
- sham constructions
- excessive working hours
- underpayment
Who is Waadi for?
Does Waadi apply to your business? It applies to both:
- Employers who hire staff through an agency.
- Organisations that supply (lend, post) staff. Such as a temporary employment agency, a secondment agency or a payroll company.
The obligations under Waadi depend on your role, hirer or lender. Read the section that applies to your situation for more information.
New rules: Mandatory certification before 2027
Businesses that supply personnel must be certified by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (SZW) before 1 January 2027. This is in addition to the Waadi registration obligation. The ministry assesses whether businesses are authorised to operate. Without authorisation lenders are not allowed to supply workers. Hirers may no longer work with unauthorised suppliers.
Waadi when hiring staff through an agency
If you hire staff through an intermediary, such as a temping agency, you will be subject to the rules of the Waadi.
1. Do the Waadi check
Do you hire temporary staff via an intermediary, such as a temping agency? As a hirer, it is your obligation to check that the business from which you are hiring staff is registered in the Business Register as a supplier of temporary staff. There are employment agencies that do not work fairly. This can lead to employee exploitation and unfair competition. For example, if the employment agency underpays the temporary workers who work for you. The workers can then hold you liable. This falls under the chain liability for wages.
You can limit the risk of liability by doing the KVK Waadi check (in Dutch).
2. Reduce risk, check for the SNA quality mark
Want to reduce the risk of chain liability? Then hire staff from a business with the SNA quality mark. This means that the Netherlands Tax Administration cannot recover unpaid payroll taxes and VAT for hired staff from you. You will have to meet certain conditions (in Dutch). Businesses with an SNA quality mark are regularly inspected by Stichting Normering Arbeid (SNA) and are listed in a register.
Find out more about liability for payroll taxes and VAT when hiring staff (in Dutch).
3. Find a reliable temporary employment agency
The Working with Temping Agencies checklist (in Dutch) will help you find a temporary employment agency that complies with the rules. You will also be able to see whether you are working with agency staff in a fair and safe manner.
Waadi when supplying staff
As an intermediary (such as a payroll company, temporary employment agency or secondment agency) that supplies staff to organisations, you are subject to the Waadi regulations.
Register with KVK and state that you supply temporary staff
As a temporary employment agency, or other supplier of personnel, you are required to register under the Waadi scheme. You must be registered in KVK's Business Register. This registration must state that you supply temporary staff. That is your Waadi-registration.
The Netherlands Labour Authority checks whether businesses are complying with the Waadi scheme.
Check if the Waadi registration applies to you
Avoid a fine
Both the hirer and the lender, supplier can receive a fine:
- Lenders may be fined if they are not registered in the Business Register, or are not registered correctly.
- Hirers may be fined if they do business with a supplier who is not registered or is not registered correctly.
Read more about the penalties for Waadi violations (in Dutch).
Strike breaking: do not hire extra temp workers during a strike
Employees have the right to strike if they have an employment dispute with their employer. The Waadi Act states that in the event of a strike, lenders may not offer workers to replace striking employees. Temporary workers are not allowed to take over the work of strikers. This is called strike breaking (in Dutch) and it is forbidden.