Federgon, the Belgian federation of staffing agencies, announced that it supports a recent government decision to allow temporary work in the public sector.

Earlier this month, the Council of Ministers approved the Royal Decrees, which now allow both federal and state-owned companies to use agency work. Federgon stated that temp sector has been advocating for many years about using agency workers in public services at all levels.

According to the OECD, total government employment is more than 17% of the total Belgian labor force.

“Public services, too, need a modern HR policy and to this end, they must have the necessary tools to ensure optimal allocation of their staff, including tools including temporary work. The use of temporary agency work in the public sector has been commonplace for quite some time with our neighbors,” Federgon stated.

“Based on the expertise of its members in the private sector, Federgon has always advocated that the use of agency work be governed by a clear legal framework, where the rules applicable to the public sector and the private sector differ only where it's really necessary,” Federgon stated. “Another Federgon request was to harmonise as much as possible the systems applied at federal and Flemish level. These concerns of the actors on the ground were largely taken into account. And that can only benefit the clarity of the system and legal certainty.”

Federgon also stated that it is convinced that a broad collaboration between private HR service providers and the public sector will “contribute to the modernisation of HR policy in this sector and to a substantial increase in the efficiency of public services, which will be of great benefit to the public. citizen service.” Federgon also acknowledged the Minister of Public Service for being instrumental in the decision to allow temporary work in the public sector.

Herwig Muyldermans, Managing Director of Federgon, commented, "Federgon is convinced that far-reaching cooperation between private HR service providers and the public sector will contribute to the modernisation of the government's public policy and to a significant increase in the efficiency of government services. This can only benefit the service to the citizen.”