Minister warns; 'Read employment agency contract carefully'
Teachers who want to work through an employment or mediation agency must read their contract carefully in advance. Minister Slob advises this in response to parliamentary questions from Kirsten van den Hul (PvdA) and publications in the Education Magazine.
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The Education Magazine published it just before the summer holidays news of a starting teacher who wanted to work in primary education in The Hague through an employment agency. The bureau introduced him to two large school boards, which together control almost the entire market in The Hague.
Redemption payment
After those two interviews, however, the candidate turned out to be able to forget a permanent job with those boards for the time being. Because he was nominated through the secondment office, the schools are only allowed to hire the candidate directly themselves if they pay a lump sum payment to the secondment office.
Schools are tied to the employment agency with a strangling contract, and the candidate is the victim of that
According to the secondment office, this was clearly told to the teacher in advance, but according to the teacher this was not the case. "Schools are tied to the job placement agency with a stranglehold contract, and the candidate is the victim of that," the teacher said.
On the basis of this report, MP Kirsten van den Hul asked questions to Minister Slob. This one answers that in the world of employment agencies it is 'not uncommon' to request a lump sum payment when an employer takes over an employee from an agency. "But I don't think it's desirable that education money is spent on this."
Terms & conditions
Furthermore, according to Slob, it appears from the report that it is important that all parties are familiar with the conditions of a temporary employment contract in advance. 'There is a responsibility in this for all parties involved. Only then can the individual parties assess whether they enter into a collaboration under those conditions. '
There are advantages and disadvantages of working through employment and secondment agencies, Slob concludes. 'It is up to individual teachers to make a decision. My advice to them would be to opt for permanent employment. '
