Status: July 12, 2026. Temporary employment can be a quick path to a new job for applicants in Austria: an assignment in production, logistics, technology, retail, office work, or in a project-based operation, often with a quick start and clearly defined tasks. At the same time, the model requires explanation because more than one company is involved. The employment contract is with the temporary employment agency, but the work is performed at the client company.
Exactly for this reason, an application for temporary employment should not be treated like an ordinary job offer. Anyone who only looks at job titles, hours, and start dates will quickly overlook important points: Who is the legal employer? Which collective agreement applies? How long does the assignment last? What happens after the project? And which contact person is responsible for wages, working hours, safety, or vacation?
What temporary employment means in Austria
Legally, temporary employment is called employee leasing (Arbeitskräfteüberlassung). According to the description of the Corporate Service Portal, it occurs when a company makes employees available to another company for a specific or indefinite period to perform work. The employment contract is concluded with the leasing company; the daily work takes place at the client company.
The Economic Chamber also describes employee leasing as personnel provision: An employer makes employees available to another employer for the provision of services. In practice, this means: You may be integrated into the client's operations, team, and processes in everyday life, but you remain employed by the leasing company under labor law.
For applicants, this separation is crucial. During the job interview, it may be that the personnel service provider speaks first, followed by the client company. A professional Temporary employment application therefore clarifies not only whether the task fits, but also how the cooperation between these two sides is organized.
When temporary employment can make sense
Temporary employment is not automatically a worse job and not automatically the best solution. It can make sense if a quick start is important, if someone wants to test an industry, or if a company is initially looking for project-based support. Even after a long job search, a temporary assignment can help to build routine, current references, and practical experience again.
For career starters, career changers, or people with very practical qualifications, temporary employment can be a door opener. Some assignments lead to a permanent position at the client company later. However, one should not rely on this blindly. If a permanent position is mentioned as a possibility, it is worth asking: Under what conditions? After what period? Who decides on it? And have people actually been taken on in comparable cases?
The jobspot article on stable jobs and job security shows why applicants should evaluate offers realistically. With temporary employment, this evaluation is particularly important because the duration of the assignment and the economic situation of the client company can carry more weight.
Contractual partners: Who is responsible for what?
The most important question is: With whom are you signing the employment contract? In the case of employee leasing, this is the leasing company. They are responsible for the contract, payroll, social security, many formal details, and labor law processing. The client company, on the other hand, organizes the specific work assignment, professional instructions, on-the-job training, and daily cooperation.
This sounds theoretical, but quickly becomes practical in everyday life. If the wage is incorrect, the leasing company is the first point of contact. If a machine, a workstation, or protective equipment is missing, this concerns the client company and at the same time the responsibility for employee protection. If the duty roster is changed, applicants should know whether the information comes directly from the client or must be confirmed via the leasing company.
Before accepting, it should therefore be clear who is available for which topics. Reputable personnel service providers name a specific contact person, explain the client company, and provide the necessary documents in good time. If it remains constantly unclear who is actually making decisions, caution is advised.
Check the service note and assignment notification
The Chamber of Labor points out that the leasing company must issue a written basic agreement, i.e., a service note (Dienstzettel), and an assignment notification. Before each assignment, essential circumstances of the employment should be communicated: e.g., client company, classification, base wage, allowances, activity, and the expected duration of the assignment.
These documents are not just paperwork for later. They are the basis for understanding the offer and checking the subsequent monthly statement. Applicants should therefore not only ask when they start, but also: What activity is agreed upon? In which federal state or at which location will the work be performed? What working time is realistic? What allowances are provided? Is there shift work, weekend work, or changing locations?
Anyone who is already unsure about a normal employment contract will find a good basic structure in the article Check employment contract. In the case of temporary employment, the assignment notification is added because it describes the specific assignment.
Remuneration, collective agreement, and allowances
When it comes to salary, it is not just the number in the advertisement that counts. The AK explains: Wages or salaries must not be below the collective agreement of the leasing company. During the assignment, the payment must also not be below the minimum level stipulated by collective agreement or law to which comparable employees at the client company would be entitled. If the collective agreement of the client company provides for a higher remuneration for the specific activity, this must be taken into account during the assignment.
For applicants, this means: Ask about the classification, the relevant collective agreement, allowances, and the gross remuneration for the actually planned working hours. For shift work, night work, hardship, assembly, work clothing, travel expenses, or changing locations, additional points may be relevant. It is not enough if only an approximate monthly amount is mentioned.
The article Check collective agreement fits well here as a deep dive. Especially with leased employees, the classification should be comprehensible because the client company, activity, and qualification interact.
Working hours and actual assignment
Temporary employment is often close to operational needs. This can enable quick starts, but can also bring changing requirements. Therefore, applicants should have the planned weekly hours, shifts, break regulations, and location recorded in advance. The AK notes that the agreed working time must correspond to the actually expected working time.
The distinction between flexibility and ambiguity is particularly important. Flexibility can be fair if it is openly discussed and paid for. Ambiguity is a risk if it only becomes apparent after acceptance that daily working hours turn into shift work, one location turns into several, or overtime is regularly expected. Therefore, ask specifically: What does a normal work week look like? Who schedules shifts? How early are changes announced? Is overtime paid out or compensated?
If working time is the central topic, the jobspot guide on time records also helps. Your own records are particularly valuable for changing shifts because they make it easier to clarify later questions about the statement.
Safety, training, and work equipment
Many temporary jobs are practical: warehouse, production, construction-related areas, technology, cleaning, catering, nursing environment, laboratory, workshop, or assembly. The closer the work is to machines, physical strain, chemicals, traffic, cold, heat, or night work, the more precisely the training should be clarified.
Applicants should know before starting what protective equipment is necessary, who provides it, how the training takes place, and who is responsible for safety issues. For office jobs, other points are important: access, data protection, work equipment, home office options, reporting lines, and substitution arrangements. In both cases, the following applies: A quick start must not mean that basic information is missing.
How to apply for temporary jobs
A good application for temporary employment is clear and practical. The CV should quickly show which activities can be used immediately: machine knowledge, forklift license, IT systems, languages, shift experience, customer contact, accounting, warehouse processes, technical training, or industry practice. In the cover letter, a short, concrete focus is often sufficient: availability, relevant experience, desired areas of assignment, and working time frame.
Honesty regarding availability and mobility is important. Anyone who can only work certain shifts should say so early on. Anyone who does not have a driver's license or is dependent on public transport should realistically check locations. Conversely, applicants should not leave everything open just to be invited faster. An acceptance that falls through after just one week due to working hours or distance helps neither applicants nor employers.
For the documents, it is worth taking a look at Check application documents. Especially with personnel service providers, profiles are often forwarded quickly. A clear CV, complete certificates, and clean contact details save time.
Warning signs before acceptance
Some signals should be taken seriously by applicants. It is problematic if the client company is not named, even though the start is imminent. Also, a missing service note, unclear classification, changing statements about wages, pressure to accept immediately, or vague formulations like "we'll clarify that later" are not a good basis.
Equally tricky are advertisements that demand a lot of flexibility but give hardly any information about the activity, working hours, and payment. Reputable temporary employment can be fast, but it does not have to be non-transparent. Applicants are allowed to ask questions, read documents, and ask for written confirmation in case of contradictions.
Checklist before starting
Before accepting, at least these points should be clear: name of the leasing company, name of the client company, specific location, activity, expected duration, weekly hours, duty roster logic, classification, collective agreement, base wage, allowances, work equipment, protective equipment, contact person at the leasing company, and contact person at the client company.
In addition, a personal check is worthwhile: Does the commute fit the actual duty roster? Is the income sufficient after deducting travel expenses? Is there realistic development or is it a pure transition? Is a takeover possible or only mentioned non-bindingly? Anyone who asks these questions in advance does not seem difficult, but prepared.
Conclusion: Temporary employment can fit if the conditions are clear
Temporary employment application means more than just being available quickly. Good applicants check whether the task, contractual partner, remuneration, working hours, and client company fit together. The model can open up opportunities, especially with a quick start, industry change, or project-based experience. However, it only becomes reliable when the most important conditions are written and comprehensible.
The best next step: Do not just read a temporary employment advertisement by job title. Mark all open points and clarify them in the conversation. If the service note, assignment notification, classification, and contact persons fit properly, temporary employment can be a sensible entry. If central information is missing, asking is more important than a quick signature.
