Background information

A flexpool is comprised of several employers based in the same area, who are looking for the same types of skills. Unemployed workers are hired by the flexpool organisation. They are then trained and sent to participating companies during their busiest periods of activity. Dutch legislation requires the management of each flexpool to offer open-ended contracts to the workers who have been involved in the system for 72 weeks.

This mechanism is designed to regulate and secure employment in the sectors concerned, while at the same time responding to companies’ flexibility constraints. For companies, it permits the combination of flexibility and a secure supply of qualified workers, while the pool’s workers benefit from job and income security, as well as professional training. It allows participating companies to compensate for seasonal and unpredictable fluctuations in production demand and limit the costs associated with recruiting temporary staff. It offers the pool’s workers a qualified and stable job, thus allowing them to benefit from an appropriate and predictable income.

Content of measure

This is available to firms in a region and/or sector that have set up a pool of flexible workers. Many examples can be found in the care sector (mental healthcare, care for elderly) ) and education sectors, both by individual companies and groups of companies. There are also flexpools, sometimes called 'arbopools', in other sectors.

Companies are invoiced by the flexpool. However, in several aspects they are run like a temporary working agency (TWA), offering work only when this is available. The difference with a TWA is that flexpools are not run as a for profit organisation.There is no financial public support for flexpools, but the UWV (Public Employment Service) and the Chamber of Commerce may be of practical and logistic assistance.

Use of measure

A mid-term evaluation was published in 2022.The evaluation's goals were to understand the usage and impact of the flexpoolregeling and provide recommendations for future rounds.

It found that most provinces distribute funds to municipalities to hire their own experts, with Drenthe being the exception, using a dedicated team to support municipalities. Challenges include the limited availability of experts due to a tight labor market. The report recommends maintaining the flexpoolregeling through the provinces, emphasises flexibility to accommodate varying local needs, and suggests potentially adding conditions around affordability and concrete project targets. The current funding allocation based on housing needs is seen as appropriate, and there's a recognised need for strategies to address the shortage of available experts. The report indicates that the flexpoolregeling supported over 140 projects across the provinces, involving approximately 55,000 housing units, with ongoing applications in some regions.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Unemployed	Applies to all businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Trade unions Employers' organisations	Employer

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Unknown	Unknown
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Unknown
• Main level of involvement: Unknown

Involvement

Unknown

Views and reactions

Unknown

Sources

• 06 March 2020: Duurzame inzetbaarheid en interne flexibilisering verder onder druk
• 15 June 2022: Rapport Tussenevaluatie flexpoolregeling (www.rijksoverheid.nl)