Germany’s power infrastructure will be planned, expanded and modernised over many years. Network operators, engineering companies, general contractors, manufacturers and project partners need specialists across planning, project controls, engineering, quality, site delivery and commissioning.
Demand is rarely consistent throughout the programme. New approvals, parallel locations, changing construction phases and delayed milestones can alter workforce requirements quickly.
Temporary labour leasing under the German Arbeitnehmerüberlassungsgesetz, or AÜG, can provide a reliable solution in suitable circumstances. It allows employed specialists to join existing project structures for a defined period.
However, the model does not create compliance automatically. The workforce model, activity, user undertaking, instruction structure, assignment duration and possible construction-sector restrictions must be checked before mobilisation.
Why can AÜG be useful for power infrastructure projects?
AÜG can be suitable when specialists temporarily join existing project teams, perform defined functions and receive technical or organisational instructions. A licensed labour leasing provider remains the legal employer and manages key employment processes, while the client integrates the specialist into the project within the permitted assignment structure.
Power infrastructure projects require different capabilities at different stages.
Planning phases may need project controllers, grid planners, permitting specialists and engineers. Later phases create demand for site supervision, HSE, quality assurance, commissioning and commercial management.
Not every capability needs to be built permanently within the client organisation. At the same time, roles involving close integration and client instruction may not fit a genuine freelance model.
In these circumstances, AÜG labour leasing can provide an appropriate structure. The specialist is employed by the labour leasing provider and assigned to the client for a defined period.
The model can support:
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temporary capacity peaks,
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changing project phases,
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absence or vacancy cover,
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parallel project locations,
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time-critical workstreams,
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and the period before a permanent appointment is completed.
When does AÜG fit better than freelance or permanent recruitment?
The actual working arrangement matters more than the job title. If a specialist is closely integrated into the client’s processes, systems, working patterns and instruction structure, AÜG may be more appropriate. Independent deliverables may suit a freelancer, while an enduring organisational capability will often require a permanent employee.
A project manager may deliver an independent advisory package on one programme and operate as an integrated member of the client organisation on another.
The same title can therefore require a different workforce model.
Before starting the search, clients should establish:
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Who defines the specialist’s daily activities?
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Who prioritises and controls the work?
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Will the person join internal teams and regular meetings?
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Will they mainly use client systems and equipment?
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Are they responsible for an independent result or for providing personal labour?
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How long is the capacity likely to be required?
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Will the role continue after the project phase?
AÜG is not a substitute for every form of external engagement. It is a specific structure for permitted, temporary labour leasing.
A project workforce may also combine several models: permanent leaders for long-term responsibility, freelancers for genuinely independent specialist packages and AÜG employees for suitable integrated assignments.
Which compliance requirements must be resolved before the assignment?
Check the licence, contractual structure, disclosure, worker identification, assignment duration, remuneration and equal treatment before work begins. The arrangement must be correctly designated as labour leasing and the assigned individual identified on time. Previous assignments to the same user undertaking, collective agreements and sector restrictions must also be reviewed.
A fast start should not mean deciding the legal structure retrospectively.
A reliable AÜG process includes:
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a valid labour leasing licence,
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a correctly structured labour leasing agreement,
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express designation of the arrangement as Arbeitnehmerüberlassung,
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identification of the assigned employee before the assignment,
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an employment relationship between the provider and assigned specialist,
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review of previous assignment periods,
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management of maximum assignment duration,
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compliance with equal treatment requirements,
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and clear responsibilities for working time, safety and assignment organisation.
The statutory maximum assignment duration is generally 18 months with the same user undertaking. Deviations may be possible under certain collective bargaining arrangements.
Temporary agency workers are also generally entitled to the essential working conditions provided to comparable client employees. Collective agreements can permit deviations; where such a deviation applies, equal pay generally becomes due after nine months unless a qualifying sector supplement agreement permits a longer staged approach.
These requirements should not be reviewed only when a deadline approaches. They belong in workforce and project planning from the beginning.
How does the construction-sector restriction affect grid projects?
Labour leasing into construction businesses for work normally performed by manual workers is generally prohibited, subject to narrowly defined statutory exceptions. The user undertaking, activity, collective bargaining scope and project structure must therefore be assessed. Describing an assignment as a “power infrastructure project” does not determine whether labour leasing is permissible.
This restriction is particularly relevant to grid-expansion programmes because one project may contain planning, engineering, commercial, operational and construction activities at the same time.
The legal position cannot be decided solely from the overall project or job title.
Particular care is required around manual and operational activities in:
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overhead-line construction,
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cable and civil works,
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foundation construction,
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installation,
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and other construction delivery environments.
The real responsibilities of construction managers, site managers and site supervisors also need to be reviewed. A professional job title does not create an automatic exemption.
Planning, engineering, project controls, commercial or administrative functions may be assessed differently. Each assignment still requires a review of the specific circumstances.
This assessment should happen before candidates are approached or start dates promised. If AÜG is not permitted for a particular activity, the client needs a different workforce or contractual solution.
How can AÜG help accelerate mobilisation?
Speed comes from prepared processes, not from shortening compliance checks. When responsibilities, activities, licensing, contracts, remuneration, working time, location requirements and onboarding are resolved early, suitable specialists can be identified, employed and made ready for deployment faster without leaving essential legal or operational steps until after the start.
Major grid programmes often lose time between candidate selection and productive deployment.
Contracts, qualifications, site access, safety induction, equipment, travel arrangements and internal approvals are handled consecutively rather than in parallel.
A structured mobilisation process addresses these workstreams together.
Before the candidate search begins, the client and provider should confirm:
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responsibilities and expected outcomes,
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technical and organisational integration,
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location and travel requirements,
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working and shift patterns,
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required qualifications and certificates,
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safety and access requirements,
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target start date and assignment period,
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remuneration and applicable collective arrangements,
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key contacts and escalation routes.
This creates realistic expectations and reduces the risk of a selected specialist arriving without the access or information needed to work.
Speed does not mean mobilising every candidate at the earliest possible date. It means removing preventable delays from a properly controlled process.
How does AÜG support workforce continuity?
Continuity depends on managing project phases, assignment duration, remuneration, extensions and knowledge transfer early. A structured AÜG model creates an established employment framework, but it does not replace active planning. Clients and providers must monitor deadlines, changing requirements and future phases together and make decisions before continuity is threatened.
Power infrastructure programmes frequently run for several years. Individual specialists may still be required only for one planning, construction or commissioning phase.
An assignment plan should therefore establish:
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Which milestone requires the specialist?
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How long is the current phase expected to last?
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Could delays extend the requirement?
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Which previous assignments must be considered?
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When will an extension decision be made?
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How will knowledge be transferred at the end of the assignment?
Forward visibility matters to the specialist as well as the client. When extensions are discussed only days before the contract ends, experienced professionals will understandably consider alternative projects.
Earlier conversations support retention and give the programme time to respond to statutory limits or changing capacity requirements.
Continuity does not necessarily mean keeping the same person in place indefinitely. It means managing deadlines, handovers and project knowledge so that delivery remains stable.
Which roles may be relevant for an AÜG solution?
AÜG may be relevant to suitable project controls, engineering, planning, commercial and commissioning positions where specialists temporarily join the client organisation. Construction-site and delivery activities require particularly careful assessment. The decisive factors are always the user undertaking, the work actually performed and the applicable legal framework.
Potential power infrastructure roles include:
Project and programme controls
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Project Manager
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Project Controller
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PMO Manager
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Scheduler
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Cost Controller
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Contract Manager
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Commercial Manager
Planning and engineering
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Grid Planner
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Electrical Engineer
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Primary Systems Engineer
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Secondary Systems Engineer
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Protection and Control Engineer
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Cable Planner
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Overhead Line Planner
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Civil Engineer
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Structural Engineer
Quality, safety and commissioning
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QA/QC Manager
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HSE Manager
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Commissioning Manager
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Commissioning Engineer
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O&M Manager
This list does not mean that every role can be supplied under AÜG in every project structure. Construction-related assignments require particular attention to the actual work and operating environment.
RIZE supports power infrastructure and grid-expansion projects from workforce planning through to supported mobilisation.
How can RIZE combine compliance, speed and continuity?
RIZE combines specialist market knowledge with a German AÜG structure and supports clients from role assessment through to active assignment. We clarify requirements, workforce model, availability and onboarding early. Where AÜG is unsuitable or legally restricted, we address the issue openly and help develop a more appropriate alternative.
The workforce model should not be selected only after a candidate has been found.
RIZE starts with the reality of the assignment:
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What outcome must the role deliver?
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How will the person work in practice?
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How closely will they be integrated into the client organisation?
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Does the user undertaking or activity fall within a restricted area?
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Which project duration, deadlines and previous assignments must be considered?
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What must be ready before the first working day?
We use this information to develop a realistic talent and mobilisation strategy.
RIZE holds a German labour leasing licence and supports clients with employment, contracts, payroll, insurance, onboarding and assignment management. The client also retains responsibilities within the working arrangement.
Our objective is not to use AÜG for every vacancy. It is to establish a workforce solution that fits the actual activity, project phase and legal framework.
Your project plan is ready. Is the workforce and compliance structure ready too?
Learn more about RIZE’s power infrastructure recruitment
Learn more about AÜG labour leasing with RIZE
This article provides general information and does not constitute legal advice.
