worknow

worknow GmbH is a Berlin-based employment provider licensed under Germany's Temporary Employment Act (AÜG). It acts as the legal employer of staff working for client companies in Germany, managing employment contracts, payroll and social security contributions on their behalf.

Listed in 1 country list Prominent in 1 market

By TheEORDirectory Editorial Team

Researched from company registers and providers' own published terms, and reviewed by a second editor before publication.

Last updated 5 November 2026

Fact	Value
Established	2019
Founders	Stefan Götze
Region / headquarters	Germany
Website	w-now.de ↗
What it does	worknow GmbH is a Berlin-based employment provider licensed under Germany's Temporary Employment Act (AÜG). It acts as the legal employer of staff working for client companies in Germany, managing employment contracts, payroll and social security contributions on their behalf.
Entry price	Quote-based (no public price)
G2 rating	No G2 listing (read on g2.com, 4 Nov 2026)
Last verified	4 Nov 2026

How it operates by country

🇩🇪 Germany

worknow GmbH is a Berlin-based, Germany-only Employer of Record and staffing company founded in 2019 by Stefan Götze. It employs staff through its own GmbH under its own AÜG employee-leasing licence, held since January 2020 and indefinite since January 2026, and also offers temporary staffing, temp-to-perm and permanent recruitment. In Germany it is the legal employer itself, drafting contracts under German law and the GVP collective agreements, running Lohnsteuer and social-insurance payroll, and publishing its EOR prices (EUR 599 per employee per month for one employee, falling to EUR 399 for three or more).

Germany profile

worknow GmbH is a Berlin-based German employment services company that operates only in Germany and offers Employer of Record (EOR), temporary staffing (Zeitarbeit), temp-to-perm and permanent recruitment under German labour law. Its site states that it is not a global platform but a Germany-only EOR run by an in-house team in Berlin without external subcontractors, and that since 2020 it has been the primary supplier for the external workforce operations of Uber and Uber Eats in Germany (provider claims).

The employing entity is worknow GmbH itself, registered at Amtsgericht Charlottenburg under HRB 212363 B with its registered office at Schlüterstraße 37, 10629 Berlin; the register shows articles of association dated 24 October 2019, registration on 20 November 2019, share capital of EUR 25,000 and Stefan Götze as managing director. The company holds its own licence for employee leasing (Erlaubnis zur Arbeitnehmerüberlassung) from the Bundesagentur für Arbeit, in force since 10 January 2020 and made indefinite from 10 January 2026; it publishes the licence certificate on its website and states explicitly that EOR in Germany is employee leasing under the AÜG, capped at 18 months per assignment. It employs on full-time, part-time, working-student and minijob contracts, applies the GVP collective agreements, prepares the employee leasing agreement and equal pay declaration, runs Lohnsteuer and social insurance payroll and passes employer contributions through at cost.

The published EOR fee is EUR 599 per employee per month for one employee, EUR 449 each for two and EUR 399 each for three or more, plus EUR 199 onboarding and EUR 199 offboarding fees that are waived for employments of 12 months or longer, with a refundable deposit of 1.5 months' total employment cost payable before onboarding. The site advertises contracts within 24 hours but its FAQ says the full setup usually takes 3 to 5 business days. There is no G2 listing for worknow GmbH; the only independent-style feedback is four testimonials published on the provider's own site.

Germany facts

German employing entity	Own German entity, worknow GmbH, Berlin (not a partner); the site states that EOR employees are employed by worknow GmbH as the legal employer and that payroll, tax and labour-law work is done by its in-house team in Berlin without external subcontractors (provider claim)
Commercial register	HRB 212363 B, Amtsgericht Charlottenburg (Berlin); share capital EUR 25,000; LEI 391200KECYSEZX6I1O35
Registered office	Schlüterstraße 37, 10629 Berlin, Germany
Founded	Articles of association dated 24 October 2019; registered in the commercial register on 20 November 2019
Company status	Active; the register history on North Data shows no liquidation or insolvency entries, and annual accounts for 31 December 2024 have been filed showing a balance sheet total of about EUR 1.31 million and equity of about EUR 1.13 million. North Data classifies the business as 'Vermittlung von Arbeitskräften' (placement of workers).
Managing directors	Stefan Götze (sole Geschäftsführer, entered in the register on 20 November 2019 and named as representative in the Impressum). The about page lists the Berlin team as S. Götze (managing director), A. Beer (HR assistant), W. Popp (payroll accountant) and I. Antkowska (administration).
AÜG licence	Own licence. The site publishes the certificate issued by the Agentur für Arbeit Kiel on 17 December 2025, which grants worknow GmbH the employee leasing permit in force since 10 January 2020 on an indefinite basis (unbefristet) from 10 January 2026. The site states that EOR arrangements in Germany are classified as employee leasing under the AÜG, that it operates all EOR hires under this licence, and that the maximum assignment is 18 months per employee and assignment.
Contract types	Full-time, part-time, working students (Werkstudenten) and minijobs up to the 2026 limit of EUR 603 per month; contracts are drafted under German law and employment runs under the GVP collective agreements for employee leasing. Contracts must be signed physically because of the statutory written-form requirement. No minimum term; maximum 18 months under the AÜG. Company cars and fuel cards are not provided; bonuses are handled only as client-funded discretionary pass-through payments.
Payroll and statutory	Monthly German payroll with Lohnsteuer withholding, registration with tax and social insurance bodies, and employer contributions passed through 1:1 at cost. The site itemises 2026 employer contributions as pension 9.3%, health 8.9%, long-term care 1.8%, unemployment 1.3%, U1 2.5%, U2 0.34% and U3 insolvency levy 0.15%, about 24-25% on top of gross salary; accident insurance is not itemised. Clients pay salary and employment costs by the 15th of the month; salaries are disbursed on the third-last German banking day. Continued pay during sickness for up to six weeks is administered.
Compliance services stated	EOR service agreement, separate employee leasing agreement (Arbeitnehmerüberlassungsvertrag) and an Equal Pay declaration prepared for each hire; the site states leased employees must receive the same pay and core conditions as comparable permanent staff from day one. Also mandatory online safety instruction at onboarding, management of the 18-month maximum assignment, termination and notice-period handling under BGB s.622, vacation payout on exit, and guidance that hiring contractors in Germany creates compliance exposure where the role functions like employment. Works councils and co-determination are not mentioned on the pages reviewed.
Optional benefits	Paid vacation above the statutory minimum under the GVP collective agreements and client-funded discretionary bonuses processed through payroll; mileage reimbursement at EUR 0.30 per km can be processed. No supplementary private insurance or pension plans are published, and company cars are expressly excluded.
Other services in Germany	Temporary staffing (Zeitarbeit) under the GVP collective agreements, temp-to-perm conversion, permanent recruitment (Personalvermittlung), EOR for working students and minijobs, a visa and sponsorship information page, an employer cost calculator and instant-quote tool, EOR-vs-GmbH guidance, an AGG complaints office and a whistleblower channel. No contractor management or entity setup service is offered.
Stated onboarding time	Contracts within 24 hours and onboarding within 24 hours on the EOR page (provider claim); the EOR FAQ states that the entire setup is usually completed within 3 to 5 business days, with weekend work possible for tight timelines
Entry price	EUR 599 per employee per month for one employee, EUR 449 per employee for two and EUR 399 per employee for three or more; annual plan saves 17% but requires 12 months' prepayment. One-time onboarding fee EUR 199 and offboarding fee EUR 199, waived for employments of 12 months or longer and charged retroactively if employment ends earlier. A short-term fee applies to contracts of six months or less (amount not published). Refundable security deposit of 1.5 months' total employment cost (gross salary plus employer contributions), adjustable up to two months, non-interest-bearing and offset against the final payroll. Prices exclude VAT; reverse charge for foreign clients.
Security certifications (group)	Not published. The site cites an EcoVadis Gold sustainability rating (score 95%, top 5% worldwide, provider claim) and GVP membership, but no information security certification such as ISO 27001 or SOC 2.
Provider Germany page	w-now.de/employer-of-record (English); https://w-now.de/eor (German) ↗

Services in Germany

Employer of Record (employee leasing under the AÜG)	Employs staff in Germany through worknow GmbH, its own Berlin entity, under its indefinite employee leasing licence from the Bundesagentur für Arbeit, on full-time, part-time, working-student or minijob contracts drafted under German law and the GVP collective agreements. Prepares the EOR service agreement, the employee leasing agreement and the equal pay declaration, registers the employee for tax and social insurance, carries out the mandatory safety instruction, and manages the 18-month maximum assignment. The client keeps day-to-day direction of the employee.
Payroll and statutory contributions	Monthly payroll with Lohnsteuer withholding and all social insurance reporting; employer contributions (pension, health, long-term care, unemployment, U1, U2 and U3 levies) passed through at cost at about 24-25% of gross salary. Clients fund salary and costs by the 15th of each month and employees are paid on the third-last banking day; sickness continuation pay for up to six weeks and statutory reimbursement are handled.
Onboarding, offboarding and termination	Personnel questionnaire, physically signed German contract, guided personal onboarding and a single named contact for both client and employee. Offboarding covers notice periods under BGB s.622, payout of accrued but unused vacation and the final payroll, secured by the refundable deposit. The provider states setup is usually complete in 3 to 5 business days.
Pricing and deposit model	Flat monthly EOR fee of EUR 599 (one employee), EUR 449 (two) or EUR 399 (three or more) per employee, plus EUR 199 onboarding and EUR 199 offboarding fees waived for 12-month-plus employments; no percentage-of-salary charges, no minimum term and monthly cancellation. A deposit of 1.5 months' total employment cost (up to two months in higher-risk cases) is required before onboarding and is refunded after final settlement.
Working students and minijobs	Dedicated EOR setups for Werkstudenten using the student insurance privilege and for marginal employment up to EUR 603 per month with flat-rate contributions, which the provider positions as options not usually offered by global platforms.
Temporary staffing and temp-to-perm	Classic Zeitarbeit under the GVP collective agreements for peak loads or projects, with the option to convert an EOR or leasing arrangement into direct employment with the client at any time; worknow coordinates the contractual handover.
Permanent recruitment	Direct placement (Personalvermittlung) of candidates into the client's own permanent positions, plus a talent pool and open positions for job seekers.
Immigration and visa information	The quote tool asks whether the hire is an EU or non-EU citizen and links to a visa and sponsorship information page; residence titles are collected by secure email. The extent of visa sponsorship support is not detailed on the pages reviewed.
Bonuses, expenses and mobility	Client-funded discretionary bonuses processed through the next payroll once funded (gross plus about 25% employer costs); mileage reimbursement at EUR 0.30 per km; expense processing included except where volumes are unusually high. Company cars and fuel cards are not provided.

Strengths and watch-outs in Germany

✓ Employs through its own German GmbH (HRB 212363 B, Amtsgericht Charlottenburg, registered 2019) and publishes the actual AÜG licence certificate, which shows the employee leasing permit has been held since January 2020 and became indefinite in January 2026 after the Bundesagentur für Arbeit's multi-year review period.
✓ States plainly that EOR in Germany is employee leasing under the AÜG, and builds the 18-month maximum assignment, the separate employee leasing agreement and the equal pay declaration into its process rather than leaving the client to discover these rules.
✓ Publishes a complete German price list: EUR 599 per employee per month falling to EUR 399 for three or more, fixed EUR 199 onboarding and offboarding fees, no percentage-of-salary charges, monthly cancellation and a written deposit policy, so costs can be modelled before contact.
✓ Covers German contract types that many global platforms do not, including working students and minijobs, and employs under the GVP collective agreements with vacation above the statutory minimum.
✓ Runs payroll, tax and labour-law work with an in-house Berlin team and gives both client and employee one named contact person rather than a ticket system (provider claim), supported by filed 2024 accounts showing positive equity of about EUR 1.13 million.
✓ Provider-published testimonials from clients in Cyprus, the USA and the Netherlands report fast onboarding (20 employees in two days in one case) and responsive communication.
✗ Germany-only provider with a small team (four people listed on the about page), so it cannot serve clients that need one EOR across several countries and has limited bench depth.
✗ Requires a refundable deposit of 1.5 months' total employment cost per employee before onboarding, which can rise to two months and does not bear interest; the one-employee fee of EUR 599 per month is also at the higher end of published German EOR fees.
✗ The onboarding and offboarding fees of EUR 199 each are only waived for employments of 12 months or longer and are charged retroactively if the employment ends earlier, and a short-term fee of unpublished size applies to contracts of six months or less.
✗ Onboarding claims are inconsistent: the EOR page headlines contracts and onboarding within 24 hours, while the FAQ says the full setup usually takes 3 to 5 business days.
✗ There are no independent reviews for worknow GmbH on G2 or similar platforms (the G2 'WorkNow' listing is an unrelated recruiting product), and no information security certification, supplementary benefits plans or works council guidance are published on the site.

Reviews

No G2 listing exists for worknow GmbH. The G2 page at g2.com/products/worknow/reviews belongs to a different product, 'WorkNow' by the vendor addBots, a high-volume recruiting platform listed under Other Recruiting Software (5.0/5 from 2 reviews dated 2020 and 2023); it is not the Berlin EOR provider and is not reported here as a rating.
Testimonials published on the provider's own EOR page: Leon Konrad, co-founder of Follow Flash Limited (Cyprus), states that worknow onboarded 20 employees in two days and handled numerous changes including minijobs without additional fees; Matin Bohani, founder of Refix Solutions (USA), states the company onboarded its German employee within a few days with quick and helpful answers; Dick Wierenga, hiring coordinator at Voys (Netherlands), cites guidance through a complex contractual situation with quick responses. The site labels these 'Verified Partner'.
Employee-side testimonial on the provider's site: Daniel Leibold, business operations manager at Dominik Greger Digital Solutions, employed through worknow, states that his salary was always paid on time and that he received quick, personal answers to his questions (labelled 'Verified Employee'). No independent review platform ratings for worknow GmbH were found on the pages reviewed.

Reviews are reported as found and are not verified by the directory. The only client and employee feedback located is testimonials selected and published by the provider on its own website; no independent review platform lists worknow GmbH, and the similarly named G2 listing belongs to an unrelated recruiting product.