Drawing on interviews from the SMUG project, this policy brief argues that many posted workers do not conform to the directive’s definition of a posted worker. Workers are often hired for posting, have genuine posting careers or move across categories to find job opportunities. However, this can put them in a precarious position, because they are not protected by the directive. The brief recommends that legislators clarify the status of these posted workers, who are not posted in the sense of the directive, to increase their protection.