# Interim staff (Intérimaire)

- Link: https://euemployment.eu/glossary/interim-staff-interimaire/
- Published: 2024-02-24T20:28:29+01:00
- Author: Ben

**‘Interim staff’, interims or ‘Intérimaire’ in French are short-term staff used
by the [European Commission](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/european-commission/),
EU agencies and other EU institutions in periods of increased workloads or hiring
gaps**. Interim staff are not employees or staff members of EU institutions, but
hires sent by third-party companies for work for EU institutions. “Intérimaires”
have their employment contracts with these third-party companies but receive their
tasks from staff members of EU institutions.

Contracts duration of ‘interim staff’ is usually up to 6 months but may also be 
for a longer period. While interim staff should nominally do secretarial and other
support roles, they in practice often find themselves with FGIII, FGIV, and even
[AD5](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/ad-5/) tasks.

The use of ‘interims’ or temporary workers by EU institutions is[ sometimes criticized](https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-equality-agency-not-treating-employees-equally-court-rules-gender-equality-exploitation-labor-sexual-harassment/)
as unfairly using underpaid employees for fulfilling regular tasks of these institutions.
On the positive side, serving as an interim gives the particular person significant
advantages in _councours _for vacancies at that institution. It is common for interims
to progress to [contract agent](https://euemployment.eu/glossary/contract-agent/)
status if their performance was good as temporary workers.

Read more about[ interim staff in EU institutions](https://euemployment.eu/guide-to-being-interim-staff-in-eu-institutions/).