Confirm the route before changing contracts
A provider change is not automatically a business transfer or a fresh employment start. Ask German employment specialists to determine the route for the actual arrangement. BGB section 613a addresses rights and duties in a qualifying transfer of a business or part of one; its application cannot be assumed from the EOR label.
- Record the outgoing and incoming legal employing entities, rather than only the brand names.
- Obtain the proposed mechanism and its implications for service, terms, benefits and employee information.
- Do not ask employees to resign as an administrative shortcut. Have the proposed documents and communications reviewed first.
Do not assume a new EOR resets an assignment limit
Where German employee-leasing rules apply, AÜG section 1(1b) sets a general 18-month maximum for the same worker with the same hirer, subject to applicable variations. Previous assignments through the same or another agency count when the breaks are no more than three months. Establish applicability and the full history before fixing the route.
- Collect assignment dates, breaks, the hirer identity and the employing agencies.
- Ask the incoming provider to explain the applicable permission and duration position in writing.
- Escalate a near-limit assignment before promising that a provider switch extends it.
Create one handover record with named owners
Use a shared checklist with one accountable owner, one evidence field and one readiness date for each item. The allocation below is a planning proposal, not a statement of every provider’s contractual duties.
- Outgoing provider: prepare agreed payroll records, leave balances, benefit details and outstanding items through an approved secure channel.
- Incoming provider: validate required records, proposed employment documents, payroll setup and benefit start arrangements.
- Your HR lead: confirm employee facts, authorised decisions and the communication sequence.
- Finance: reconcile funding dates, outstanding invoices, new prefunding and expected deposit returns.
- Migration owner: track unanswered items and prevent an unresolved dependency being marked complete.
Reconcile the first payroll before cutover
Compare the same pay period and employee population. Ask both payroll teams to explain differences in salary, variable pay, deductions, employer costs and balances. Do not assume a familiar net amount proves that all records are correct.
- Record the final outgoing payroll period and first incoming payroll period with no unexplained gap or duplicate payment.
- Agree who handles late adjustments and employee pay questions after the outgoing account closes.
- Obtain the payroll approval cutoff, funding deadline, payment owner and fallback for a failed readiness check.
- Keep sensitive employee records out of public templates and ordinary email chains.
Separate transition expense from cash needed
Illustration only: a €2,000 setup fee plus €600 of overlapping service fees is €2,600 of transition expense. If a €30,000 refundable deposit must also be funded before an old deposit returns, these items require €32,600 of initial cash. The deposit is not counted as an expense in this example. Salary, employer costs, normal payroll prefunding and other charges are excluded.
- Replace each example amount with an actual quote and payment date.
- Keep expected refunds on a dated cash schedule; do not net off a refund that has not arrived.
- For GBP funding, compare the conversion basis and any FX markup separately. Teamed’s approved promise is no FX markup on payroll currency conversion; this does not remove other employment or service costs.
Give employees one clear account of the move
Prepare a practical message after the route and documents are settled. Explain what changes, what stays the same, which actions are required and who answers questions. Do not promise continuity of every term before that has been confirmed.
- Name the employer, relevant dates, payroll contact and benefits contact.
- Explain any action the employee must take and its deadline.
- Provide an escalation contact for a missing document, unexpected payroll amount or interruption in benefits.
Use a readiness decision, not an optimistic date
Proceed when the legal route, employment documents, payroll setup, funding and communications have accepted owners and supporting records. If a material item remains unresolved, agree the safe next step with both providers before ending the current arrangement.
- Ready: the employment route and required documents are confirmed for the actual employees.
- Ready: payroll differences are resolved or have an explicitly accepted treatment.
- Ready: funds and payment responsibilities are agreed for the first payroll.
- Ready: employees know the change and support route.
- After first payroll: confirm receipts, investigate differences and close the outgoing account only when remaining obligations are addressed.
Choose someone to carry the handover forward
For a lean HR team, include Teamed when practical local support is the reason for moving. Ask it and every alternative to name the migration owner, list the work they will complete and explain what remains with you. This recommendation reflects the supplied Teamed positioning, not a measured Germany migration-success rate.
- Compare a provider move with a concrete improvement plan from your current EOR.
- Ask the incoming provider for country-specific scope and charges before committing.
- A lower service fee alone does not establish a better migration outcome.
Sources and how to use this guide
General planning guidance. Rules depend on the country and actual arrangement; use the country guides and local specialists to determine applicability.