- Dispatch is only a supplementary form of employment in China and may be used solely on “three-nature” posts: temporary (under 6 months), ancillary (non-core), or substitute (covering an absent employee).
劳务派遣在中国只是补充用工形式，仅限于”三性”岗位使用：临时性（不超过 6 个月）、辅助性（非主营业务）或替代性（顶替休假员工）。- The 10% cap is hard: a user employer’s dispatched-headcount must not exceed 10% of its total workforce (employees on labour contracts plus dispatched workers).
10% 上限是硬指标：用工单位使用的被派遣劳动者数量不得超过其用工总量（订立劳动合同人数与派遣人数之和）的 10%。- Ancillary posts require a democratic procedure — discussion by the employee congress or all staff, consultation with the union, and internal public notice — before dispatch may be used there.
辅助性岗位须履行民主程序——经职工代表大会或全体职工讨论、与工会或职工代表协商确定，并在单位内公示——方可使用派遣。- The dispatch agency must hold a Dispatch Licence, sign a fixed-term written contract of at least two years, and pay no less than local minimum wage during any no-work interval.
派遣单位须持《劳务派遣经营许可证》，订立 2 年以上固定期限书面劳动合同，并在无工作期间按不低于当地最低工资按月支付报酬。- Same pay for same work applies: user employers must provide dispatched workers with job-related welfare benefits and may not discriminate; cross-region dispatch is socially insured at the place of work.
同工同酬适用：用工单位须向被派遣劳动者提供与岗位相关的福利待遇、不得歧视；跨地区派遣在用工单位所在地参保。- “Fake outsourcing, real dispatch” is caught: using contracting or outsourcing in the form of dispatch is treated as dispatch under the rules.
“假外包、真派遣”被规制：以承揽、外包名义按派遣形式使用劳动者的，按本规定处理。- Registration certificates and POAs from the foreign parent still need an Apostille (Hague) or consular authentication when filed for licence or entity setup — China’s Apostille accession (effective 7 Nov 2023) streamlines this.
外国母公司的注册证书与授权书在办理许可或设立时仍须附加证明书（海牙）或领事认证——中国加入海牙公约（2023 年 11 月 7 日生效）已大幅简化此环节。
Labour Dispatch Compliance for Foreign-Invested Enterprises in China: the “three-nature” rule and the 10% cap | 外资企业劳务派遣合规：三性规则与 10% 上限
Overview
Many foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) in China use labour dispatch to flex headcount for seasonal peaks, administrative support, or niche technical roles. Dispatch can work well, but it sits inside a strict regulatory box. The Interim Provisions on Labour Dispatch (Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security Order No. 22, effective 1 March 2014) — issued to implement the 2012 amended Labour Contract Law — defines where dispatch may be used, caps the proportion, and splits responsibilities among the dispatch agency, the user employer and the worker. For an FIE, getting this wrong risks administrative penalties, back-pay exposure and “deemed employment” disputes. This article explains the rules that matter, with official sources. It is general information, not legal advice.
Where dispatch is allowed: the “three-nature” posts
Article 3 of the Interim Provisions restricts dispatch to posts that are temporary, ancillary or substitute:
- Temporary (临时性): a post that lasts no more than six months.
- Ancillary (辅助性): a non-core post serving the main business.
- Substitute (替代性): a post where the regular employee is temporarily absent (study leave, vacation, etc.) and can be covered by another worker.
Crucially, for ancillary posts the user employer must follow a democratic procedure: the ancillary post list is discussed by the employee congress or all staff, proposed and consulted with the union or worker representatives, and then publicly announced within the unit. Skipping this procedure is a recognised compliance risk.
A notable carve-out: representative offices of foreign enterprises and representative offices of foreign financial institutions, as well as the use of international ocean crews in dispatch form, are not bound by the three-nature and proportion limits (Article 25) — relevant for foreign bank and insurance representative offices.
The 10% cap
Article 4 is the headline constraint for any sizeable FIE: the number of dispatched workers must not exceed 10% of the user employer’s total workforce, where “total workforce” = employees on labour contracts + dispatched workers. The calculation unit is the employer that can conclude labour contracts under the Labour Contract Law — so a corporate group must calculate per legal entity, not group-wide.
The rules also target evasion: where a company contracts work out but the contractor’s workers use the company’s facilities, follow the company’s arrangements, or work in the company’s name (i.e. “fake outsourcing, real dispatch”), those workers are counted into the company’s proportion (Article 27; see also the compliance guidance issued by local HRSS bureaus).
The dispatch agency’s obligations
A dispatch agency may operate only with a Dispatch Licence (劳务派遣经营许可证). Minimum conditions include registered capital of at least RMB 2 million (paid-in, per the 2014 reform), fixed premises and facilities, and a compliant dispatch management system. The licence is subject to annual reporting and may be revoked for repeated violations.
The agency must:
- conclude a fixed-term written labour contract of at least two years with each dispatched worker (Article 5);
- truthfully inform the worker of the rules, the dispatch agreement and relevant matters (Article 8);
- pay labour remuneration and social insurance in accordance with law and the dispatch agreement (Article 8);
- apply for work-injury identification where the worker is injured on the job at the user employer — the agency bears work-injury liability, with reimbursement arranged with the user employer (Article 10);
- pay no less than the local minimum wage monthly during any no-work interval after return (Article 12).
The user employer’s obligations
The user employer engages the worker day to day but does not employ them. Its duties include:
- using dispatch only on three-nature posts within the 10% cap;
- providing the same remuneration distribution as comparable in-house staff, plus job-related welfare benefits, with no discrimination (Articles 9, 62 Labour Contract Law);
- providing labour protection and occupational safety/hygiene conditions;
- handling occupational-disease diagnosis and appraisal where needed (Article 10);
- following the return rules: a worker may be returned only on the limited statutory grounds (e.g. the user employer’s bankruptcy, closure, revocation, dissolution, or expiry of the dispatch agreement), and protected workers (medical leave, pregnancy, maternity, nursing) may not be returned before the relevant period lapses (Article 12–13).
Cross-region dispatch and social insurance
Where a dispatch agency sends workers across regions, it must enrol them in social insurance at the place of work, under local rates (Article 18). If the agency has a branch at the place of work, the branch handles enrolment; if not, the user employer handles it on the agency’s behalf (Article 19). This “same insure at place of work” rule implements equal treatment for cross-region dispatched workers.
Penalties and pitfalls
Violations are handled under the Labour Contract Law’s penalty articles: unlawful dispatch operation, exceeding the proportion, abusing ancillary posts, or unlawful return can trigger correction orders, warnings, compensation liability to the worker, and — for unlicensed dispatch operation — fines of one to five times the illegal income (or up to RMB 50,000 where there is none). FIEs should also watch the “fake outsourcing” trap: relabelling a dispatch relationship as a service contract does not escape the rules.
Document authentication for the foreign parent
When an FIE or its dispatch arrangements require filings referencing the foreign parent — e.g. the parent’s incorporation certificate or a power of attorney for licence or entity matters — the foreign document must carry an Apostille if the home state is a Hague Convention party, or Chinese embassy/consulate authentication otherwise. China acceded to the Convention on 8 March 2023 and it took effect on 7 November 2023, so most treaty-member parents now use the one-step Apostille instead of double consular authentication.
What this means for foreign investors and FIEs
- Audit your dispatch footprint against the 10% cap per legal entity, not group-wide.
- Map posts to three-nature and complete the ancillary-post democratic procedure with evidence (minutes, consultation, notice).
- Vet your dispatch agency’s licence and contract terms (2-year minimum, no-work pay, social insurance).
- Confirm same-pay-for-same-work mechanics and benefits parity in practice.
- Avoid fake outsourcing — structure genuine services as arm’s-length contracts, not disguised dispatch.
- Authenticate foreign-parent documents via Apostille where applicable.
- Confirm specifics with qualified PRC labour counsel before restructuring workforce arrangements.
What to do next
- Calculate your dispatched-headcount ratio per entity and identify any exceedance.
- Review the post list; complete and document the ancillary-post procedure where used.
- Audit dispatch-agency licences and agreements for the 2-year contract and no-work-pay terms.
- Check cross-region social-insurance enrolment at the place of work.
- Re-label any “outsourcing” that is in substance dispatch before it draws scrutiny.
- Brief HR and legal on the return rules and protected-worker carve-outs.
Sources
- 中国政府网（国务院公报）— 人力资源和社会保障部令第 22 号《劳务派遣暂行规定》：https://www.gov.cn/gongbao/content/2014/content_2667613.htm
- 人力资源社会保障部 — 劳动关系司负责人就《劳务派遣暂行规定》答记者问：https://www.mohrss.gov.cn/ldgxs/LDGXhetong/ldht/201401/t20140127_123361.html
- 宝鸡市人社局 — 劳务派遣合规用工指引（PDF）：https://rsj.baoji.gov.cn/col9976/col1294/202405/P020241228629579687817.pdf
- 外交部 — 《取消外国公文书认证要求的公约》在华生效通知：https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/wjbxw_new/202310/t20231023_11165858.shtml
Related reading
- 外资企业雇佣管理实务 / Employment management for FIEs
- 工作签证与居留许可 / Work visas and residence permits
- 社保与跨境派遣合规 / Social insurance and cross-border dispatch compliance
外资企业劳务派遣合规：三性规则与 10% 上限
概述
许多在华外资企业用劳务派遣来柔化淡旺季、行政支持或稀缺技术岗位的用人需求。派遣本身可用，但被置于一套严格的监管框架内。《劳务派遣暂行规定》（人力资源社会保障部令第 22 号，2014 年 3 月 1 日施行）为落实 2012 年修正的《劳动合同法》而制定，明确了派遣的适用岗位、比例上限，并划分了派遣单位、用工单位与劳动者三方责任。对外资企业而言，踩线将招致行政处罚、补薪敞口与”事实劳动关系”争议。本文结合官方来源说明关键规则，仅为一般性信息，非法律意见。
派遣的适用岗位：三性
《暂行规定》第三条将派遣限制在临时性、辅助性或替代性岗位：
- 临时性： 存续时间不超过 6 个月的岗位；
- 辅助性： 为主营业务岗位提供服务的非主营业务岗位；
- 替代性： 用工单位劳动者因脱产学习、休假等无法工作期间，可由他人替代的岗位。
关键在辅助性岗位须履行民主程序：制定辅助性岗位目录，经职工代表大会或全体职工讨论、与工会或职工代表协商确定，并在单位内公示。省略该程序是公认的合规风险。
需留意例外：外国企业常驻代表机构、外国金融机构驻华代表机构等使用被派遣劳动者，以及以派遣形式使用国际远洋海员的，不受三性与比例限制（第二十五条）——对外资银行、保险代表处有现实意义。
10% 上限
第四条是任何规模外资企业的核心约束：使用的被派遣劳动者数量不得超过用工总量的 10%，用工总量 = 订立劳动合同人数 + 被派遣劳动者人数。核算单位是在中国可与劳动者订立劳动合同的用人单位，故集团须按法人单位分别核算，而非集团整体打包。
规则亦针对规避：用人单位以承揽、外包名义按派遣形式使用劳动者的，按本规定处理（第二十七条）；名为外包、实为派遣的，相关劳动者人数纳入本企业职工比例计算。
派遣单位的义务
派遣单位须持《劳务派遣经营许可证》方可经营。基本条件含注册资本不少于 200 万元（实缴，依 2014 年注册资本登记制度改革）、固定场所设施与合规管理制度。许可证须年度报告，屡次违法可被撤销。
派遣单位须：
- 与被派遣劳动者订立 2 年以上固定期限书面劳动合同（第五条）；
- 如实告知规章制度、派遣协议内容等（第八条）；
- 依规定与协议支付劳动报酬、缴纳社会保险（第八条）；
- 劳动者在用工单位受伤的，申请工伤认定——派遣单位承担工伤保险责任，可与用工单位约定补偿（第十条）；
- 被退回后无工作期间，按不低于当地最低工资按月支付报酬（第十二条）。
用工单位的义务
用工单位日常指挥劳动者但不与其建立劳动关系，其义务包括：
- 仅在三性岗位、10% 上限内使用派遣；
- 实行与同类岗位劳动者相同的劳动报酬分配办法，并提供与岗位相关的福利待遇、不得歧视（第九条、《劳动合同法》第六十二条）；
- 提供劳动保护与劳动安全卫生条件；
- 必要时负责职业病诊断、鉴定事宜（第十条）；
- 遵守退回规则：仅在法定有限情形（如破产、吊销、撤销、解散、协议期满）方可退回；医疗期、孕期、产期、哺乳期等受保护劳动者在相关情形消失前不得退回（第十二、十三条）。
跨地区派遣与社保
跨地区派遣的，派遣单位应在用工单位所在地为劳动者参加社会保险、按当地规定缴费（第十八条）。在用工单位所在地设分支机构的，由分支机构办理；未设的，由用工单位代为办理（第十九条）。这一”在用工地参保”规则落实了跨地区派遣劳动者的同工同保。
处罚与陷阱
违法依《劳动合同法》处罚条款处理：违法经营派遣、超比例、滥用辅助性岗位或违法退回，可被责令改正、警告、向劳动者承担赔偿责任；未经许可经营派遣业务的，没收违法所得并处一倍以上五倍以下罚款，无违法所得的处 5 万元以下罚款。外资企业还须警惕”假外包”陷阱：把派遣关系改签服务合同并不能逃脱规则。
外国母公司的文书认证
当外资企业或其派遣安排需提交涉及外国母公司的文件——如母公司注册证书、办理许可或设立事项的授权委托书——该外文文件若所属国为海牙公约缔约方，须办理附加证明书；否则须中国使领馆认证。中国于 2023 年 3 月 8 日加入、2023 年 11 月 7 日生效，多数条约成员母公司现采用一步式 Apostille 替代双领事认证。
对外资与外资企业的意义
- 按法人单位而非集团口径，对照 10% 上限审计派遣规模；
- 将岗位映射到三性，并完成辅助性岗位的民主程序并存证（纪要、协商、公示）；
- 审查派遣单位许可证与合同条款（2 年起、无工作报酬、社保）；
- 核实同工同酬机制与福利平权的落地；
- 避免假外包——真实服务应设计为背靠背合同，而非变相派遣；
- 对外国母公司文件适用 Apostille 认证；
- 重构用工前，与执业中国劳动法律师确认具体事项。
下一步建议
- 按法人单位计算派遣比例，识别是否超限；
- 复核岗位清单，使用辅助性岗位的完成并留存民主程序证据；
- 审查派遣单位许可证与协议中的 2 年合同、无工作报酬条款；
- 核查跨地区社保在用工地的参保；
- 将实质为派遣的”外包”在受审查前重新定性；
- 就退回规则与受保护劳动者例外，向 HR 与法务做说明。
Sources
- 中国政府网（国务院公报）— 人力资源和社会保障部令第 22 号《劳务派遣暂行规定》：https://www.gov.cn/gongbao/content/2014/content_2667613.htm
- 人力资源社会保障部 — 劳动关系司负责人就《劳务派遣暂行规定》答记者问：https://www.mohrss.gov.cn/ldgxs/LDGXhetong/ldht/201401/t20140127_123361.html
- 宝鸡市人社局 — 劳务派遣合规用工指引（PDF）：https://rsj.baoji.gov.cn/col9976/col1294/202405/P020241228629579687817.pdf
- 外交部 — 《取消外国公文书认证要求的公约》在华生效通知：https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/wjbxw_new/202310/t20231023_11165858.shtml
相关阅读
- 外资企业雇佣管理实务 / Employment management for FIEs
- 工作签证与居留许可 / Work visas and residence permits
- 社保与跨境派遣合规 / Social insurance and cross-border dispatch compliance