Document:

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                                                                    EXHIBIT 10.5

                               SEVERANCE AGREEMENT

         This Severance Agreement is entered as of August 2, 2000, by and
between Robert Half International Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company")
and Paul F. Gentzkow (the "Employee").

         WHEREAS, the Company and Employee have previously entered into a
Severance Agreement dated as of October 1, 1991 (the "1991 Agreement") and an
Agreement dated as of July 31, 1995 (the "1995 Agreement") (the 1991 Agreement
and the 1995 Agreement being collectively referred to herein is the "Previous
Agreements").

         WHEREAS, the Previous Agreements were entered into because the Company
believed it to be in the best interest of the Company and its shareholders to
provide for stability in the management of the Company.

         WHEREAS, effective as of the date hereof, the Employee has been elected
an Executive Officer of the Company.

         NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the terms and
conditions set forth herein, the Company and the Employee hereby agree as
follows:

         1.       DEFINITIONS

         "Change in Control" shall have the meaning specified in the Company's
Equity Incentive Plan.

         "Continuation Period" means (a) 36 months following the Termination
Date, if Employee has served as a Director of the Company at any time prior to
the Termination Date, and (b) 24 months following the Termination Date in all
other cases.

         "Future Equity Award" means a grant of options or restricted stock made
by the Company after the effective date of this Severance Agreement.

         "Previous Equity Award" means a grant of options or restricted stock
made by the Company prior to the effective date of this Severance Agreement.

         "Termination Date" means the date on which Employee's employment with
the Company is terminated.

         "Termination For Cause" means termination by the Company of Employee's
employment by the Company by reason of Employee's willful dishonesty towards,
fraud
<PAGE>

upon, or deliberate injury or attempted injury to the Company, or by reason of
Employee's willful material breach of any employment agreement with the Company,
which has resulted in material injury to the Company; provided, however, that
Employee's employment shall not be deemed to have terminated in a Termination
For Cause if such termination took place as a result of any act or omission
believed by Employee in good faith to have been in the interest of the Company.

         "Termination Without Cause" means termination of Employee's employment
other than pursuant to a Termination For Cause. Termination Without Cause
includes a termination by Employee following (a) a reduction by more than 5% of
Employee's base salary per month, exclusive of bonus, fringe benefits and other
non-salary compensation, (the "Monthly Base Salary") or (b) a request by the
Company that Employee relocate more than 50 miles away from the current location
of the principal executive offices of the Company.

         "Termination Following a Change in Control" means a voluntary
termination by Employee within one year following Change in Control.

         2.       PAYMENTS AND BENEFITS UPON TERMINATION WITHOUT CAUSE. In the
event of a Termination Without Cause, the Employee shall be entitled to receive
the following:

                  2.1. MONTHLY BASE SALARY. Commencing on the Termination Date,
Employee shall receive Monthly Base Salary, at a rate equal to the highest
Monthly Base Salary paid to Employee within the six (6) months preceding the
Termination Date, each month during the Continuation Period. At the option of
the Company, all or part of such Monthly Base Salary may be paid in a lump sum.

                  2.2.  BONUS.

(a) If the Termination Date occurs within 12 months after a Change in Control,
then, commencing on the Termination Date, Employee shall receive, each month
during the Continuation Period, an amount equal to 1/12 of the annual cash bonus
paid (or to be paid) to Employee with respect to the last full calendar year
completed prior to the Change in Control. At the option of the Company, all or
part of such payments may be paid in a lump sum.

(b) If the Termination Date does not occur within 12 months after a Change in
Control, Employee shall be paid, when such bonus payments would otherwise
typically be made to Employee, the amount determined by multiplying (i) a
fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of months that, as of the
last day of the month in which the Termination Date occurs, shall have passed
since the beginning of that calendar year, and the denominator of which shall be
twelve and (ii) the bonus to which Employee would have been entitled had such
termination not occurred. For purposes of the foregoing clause (ii), Employee
shall be not be entitled to a pro rata amount of bonus that is discretionary
unless such Employee is specifically awarded such discretionary amount in
accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable bonus plan or
program.
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                  2.3. BENEFITS. During the Continuation Period or until
Employee is reemployed, whichever first occurs, Employee also shall be entitled
to all employee benefits, including medical and life insurance, pension,
retirement and other benefits to which Employee was entitled on the Termination
Date.

                  2.4.  VESTING.

(a) If, on the Termination Date, Employee holds any Future Equity Award which is
subject to restrictions or vesting based on continued employment with the
Company, such restrictions shall lapse and such vesting shall occur effective as
of the Termination Date. Each option that is a Future Equity Award held by
Employee shall remain outstanding and exercisable until the earlier of its
exercise or its original expiration date.

(b) If, on the Termination Date, Employee holds any Previous Equity Award which
is subject to restrictions or vesting based on continued employment with the
Company, the provisions of the Previous Agreements shall continue to apply to
such Previous Equity Award.

(c) If Employee is a participant in the Company's Deferred Compensation Plan or
any successor plan, all amounts credited under such plan to Employee shall
become fully vested and nonforfeitable.

                  2.5. OUTPLACEMENT SERVICES. The Company shall pay, on behalf
of Employee, expenses and fees relating to outplacement services utilized by
Employee, in an amount that is the usual and customary rate for such services
for an individual at Employee's level.

                  2.6. MULTIPLE BENEFITS. To the extent that any other agreement
("Other Agreement") between the Employee and the Company would provide for
salary continuation (or a lump sum payment in lieu of salary continuation) and
bonus payments under the same circumstances as such benefits would be provided
pursuant to Sections 2.1 and 2.2 hereof, then Employee shall not receive such
benefits under both the Other Agreement and Sections 2.1 and 2.2, but shall
instead receive the greater of the salary continuation benefit payable under
either Section 2.1 or the Other Agreement and the greater of the bonus benefit
payable under either Section 2.2 and the Other Agreement. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the Benefits provided by Sections 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 hereof shall
supersede the provisions of Sections 2.1 and 2.2 of the 1991 Agreement and
Sections 2(a), 2(b) and 2(c) of the 1995 Agreement, which superseded sections
are of no further force or effect.

         3.       TERMINATION FOLLOWING A CHANGE IN CONTROL. If Employee has
served as a Director of the Company at any time prior to the Termination
Date, Employee shall be entitled to the benefits described in Section 2
hereof in the event of a Termination Following a Change in Control.
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         4.       ADDITIONAL MEDICAL BENEFITS. If Employee has served as a
Director of the Company at any time prior to the Termination Date, then, in
the event of any termination of Employee's employment on or after the first
January 1 occurring after the Employee's 53rd birthday, other than a
Termination For Cause, Employee and his then current wife shall each continue
to participate until his or her death, at the Company's expense, in whatever
healthcare plan may be maintained by the Company from time to time for its
then current employees as if Employee were still a full time employee of the
Company.

         5.       EMPLOYMENT. The sole purpose of this Agreement is to
provide Employee with severance benefits in the event Employee is Terminated
Without Cause. This Agreement is not an employment agreement. This Agreement
shall not affect any right of the Company to terminate Employee's employment
at any time.

         6.       HEADINGS. The headings used in this Agreement are for
convenience only, and shall not be used to construe the terms and conditions
of the Agreement.

         7.       GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement shall be governed by and
construed according to the laws of the State of California. The terms of this
Agreement shall bind and shall inure to the benefit of the successors and
assigns of the parties hereto.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company and the Employee have executed this
Agreement as of the date first set forth above.

                                ROBERT HALF INTERNATIONAL INC.

                                HAROLD M. MESSMER, JR.
                                ----------------------
                                Harold M. Messmer, Jr.
                                Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

                                PAUL F. GENTZKOW
                                ----------------
                                Paul F. Gentzkow<PAGE>

                                                                    EXHIBIT 10.6

                                    AGREEMENT

         This Agreement is entered into as of July 31, 1995, by and between
Robert Half International Inc. ("RHI") and Paul F. Gentzkow ("Employee").

         WHEREAS, RHI is an international staffing services organization, which
conducts its operations in the United States and selected foreign countries
either directly or through direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries.

         WHEREAS, Employee serves as Director of Operations, in which capacity
he manages certain specified operations of RHI.

         WHEREAS, RHI wishes to grant certain additional benefits to Employee.

         WHEREAS, in consideration thereof, RHI wishes to obtain certain
covenants from Employee.

         Now, therefore, the parties hereto agree as follows, effective as of
the date hereof:

         1. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the following terms,
when used in this Agreement, shall have the meanings set forth below:

         "Administrator" means the Administrator of the 1991 Stock Option Plan
for Field Employees, as such term is defined in such plan, and the Administrator
of the 1991 Restricted Stock Plan for Field Employees, as such term is defined
in such plan.

         "Applicable Office" means any office of any of the RHI Companies in
which Employee has worked, or over which Employee has exercised any form of
direct or indirect supervisorial authority, during the one year period preceding
the Termination Date.

         "Competitor" means any executive recruiting firm, employment agency,
temporary personnel service business or other staffing services business engaged
in whole or in part in any business conducted by the RHI Companies, regardless
of whether such entity conducts its business as a sole proprietorship,
partnership, corporation or in other form.

         "Customer" means any person, firm, entity, business or organization for
whom any of the Applicable Offices performs or has performed services in the
course of its business within the twelve months preceding the Termination Date.

         "Disability" shall mean (i) a physical or mental condition which, in
the judgment of the Administrator based on competent medical evidence
satisfactory to the Administrator (including, if required by the Administrator,
medical evidence obtained by
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an examination conducted by a physician selected by the Administrator), renders
Employee unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity for the RHI
Companies and which condition is likely to result in death or to be of long,
continued and indefinite duration, or (ii) a judicial declaration of
incompetence.

         "Option" means an option granted to Employee under the 1991 Stock
Option Plan for Field Employees.

         "Other Agreement" means any agreement, contract, plan or arrangement
between any of the RHI Companies and the Employee (other than this Agreement)
including, but not limited to, any agreement, contract, plan or arrangement that
is applicable to one or more individuals in addition to the Employee.

         "Other Employee" means any individual (other than Employee) who is
employed by an Applicable Office or was employed by an Applicable Office within
the prior six months, whether as a regular employee, temporary employee or
independent contractor.

         "Restricted Stock" means a share of restricted stock granted to
Employee under the 1991 Restricted Stock Plan for Field Employees.

         "RHI Companies" means RHI and any subsidiary or affiliate of RHI.

         "Solicit" means soliciting, inducing, attempting to induce or assisting
any other person, firm, entity, business or organization in any such
solicitation, inducement or attempted inducement, in all cases regardless of
whether the initial contact was by Employee, the Other Employee, or any other
person, firm, entity, business or organization.

         "Termination For Cause" means termination by RHI of Employee's
employment by reason of (a) Employee's willful dishonesty towards, fraud upon,
or deliberate injury or attempted injury to any of the RHI Companies, (b) the
commission of any criminal act by Employee (other than minor traffic violations)
or (c) misconduct or gross negligence by Employee in the performance of his
duties.

         "Termination Date" means the date on which Employee's employment with
RHI is terminated.

         "Termination Without Cause" means termination by RHI of Employee's
employment other than pursuant to a Termination For Cause.

         "Termination Year" means the fiscal year in which the Termination
Date occurs.

         2. In the event of a Termination Without Cause, the Employee shall be
entitled to receive the following:
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                  (a) Employee shall receive Monthly Payments, as specified
herein, at a rate equal to 100% of the highest monthly base salary (excluding
bonuses, income from stock options and stock plans, fringe benefits and similar
items) paid to Employee with respect to any of the six calendar months
immediately preceding the Termination Date. The first such payment shall be made
on the last day of the first full month following the Termination Date, and
subsequent payments shall be made on the last day of each subsequent month,
until the number of Monthly Payments specified in Section 2(b) has been made.
The foregoing Monthly Payments are in lieu of any salary, bonus or compensation
that would otherwise have been paid with respect to services subsequent to the
Termination Date, including, but not limited to, any bonus payments relating to
the Termination Year or any subsequent year. At the option of RHI, all or part
of such Monthly Payments may be paid in a lump sum.

                  (b) The number of Monthly Payments to be made under the
circumstances described herein is (i) twelve, if the Termination Date is prior
to the fifth anniversary of this Agreement, (ii) eighteen, if the Termination
Date is on or after the fifth anniversary of this Agreement but prior to the
tenth anniversary of this Agreement and (iii) twenty-four, if the Termination
Date is on or after the tenth anniversary of this Agreement.

                  (c) So long as Employee would be entitled to receive Monthly
Payments pursuant to the terms of Sections 2(a) and 2(b) of this Agreement
(whether or not RHI has elected to pay all or a portion of the amount in a lump
sum) or until Employee obtains other employment, whichever first occurs, RHI
shall pay all costs and fees relating to the continuation of Employee's medical
benefits pursuant to COBRA.

                  (d) To the extent that any Other Agreement (including, but not
limited to the Severance Agreement dated October 1, 1991 between Employee and
RHI) would provide for cash payments, including but not limited to salary
continuation (or a lump sum payment in lieu of salary continuation) or bonus
payments, under the same or similar circumstances as such benefits would be
provided pursuant hereto, then Employee shall not receive such benefits under
both the Other Agreement and hereunder, but shall instead receive the greater of
the cash benefit payable under either (i) Sections 2(a) and 2(b) hereof or (ii)
the Other Agreement. Except as provided by the foregoing sentence, the benefits
payable under this Agreement shall be in addition to, and not in lieu of, any
other benefits that may be provided under any Other Agreement.

         3.       (a) In the event of the termination of Employee's employment
by reason of his death or Disability, each Option held by the Employee on the
date of such event shall (unless such Option shall have theretofore expired in
accordance with its terms) immediately become exercisable in full and shall
remain exercisable for the initial term of the Option and all restrictions on
Restricted Stock held by Employee on such date shall lapse, with the result that
the Restricted Stock shall not be forfeited by reason of such termination.

                  (b) As the date hereof, the unvested Options held by Employee
under the 1991 Stock Option Plan for Field Employees have an aggregate market
value of $897,175. At the discretion of RHI, additional Options may be granted
subsequent to the date hereof. The terms of the 1991 Stock Option Plan for Field
Employees provide that
<PAGE>

any unvested Options are forfeited on the termination of Employee's employment.
Accordingly, while the actual value, if any, of the unvested Options that may be
held by Employee on the Termination Date if his employment terminates by reason
of his death or Disability will vary from the foregoing amount (and there is no
assurance that the foregoing amount, which is dependent, upon other things, on
the public trading price of RHI's Common Stock, will ever be realized), Employee
acknowledges that there is significant value to Employee and his estate arising
from the covenant of RHI contained in Section 3(a) hereof.

         4. Employee shall not, at any time during his employment by any of the
RHI Companies or thereafter, directly or indirectly, disclose, furnish or make
accessible to any person, firm, entity, business or organization, or make use
of, any confidential information obtained while he was in the employ of any of
the RHI Companies, including, without limitation, information with respect to
the name, address, contact persons or requirements of any customer, client,
applicant or employee of any of the RHI Companies (whether having to do with
temporary or permanent employment) and information with respect to the
procedures, advertising, finances, organization, personnel, plans, objectives or
strategies of the RHI Companies. Employee acknowledges that such information is
safeguarded by the RHI Companies as trade secrets. Upon termination of his
employment, Employee shall deliver to RHI all copies of all records, manuals,
training kits, and other property belonging to any of the RHI Companies or used
in connection with their business which may be in Employee's possession. The
provisions of this Section 4 shall survive termination of either Employee's
employment or this Agreement for any reason.

         5. (a) In consideration of Employee's position with the RHI Companies
and in view of the valuable consideration furnished to the Employee by RHI
entering into this agreement, for a period of twelve (12) months after the
Termination Date (regardless of the reason for termination or whether such
termination was by RHI or by the Employee), Employee agrees that he shall not,
directly or indirectly, own, manage, operate, control, be employed by,
participate in, or be connected in any manner with the ownership, management,
operation or control of, any Competitor in any part of the area encompassed
within a radius of fifty (50) miles from any Applicable Office.

         (b) In consideration of Employee's position with the RHI Companies and
in view of the valuable consideration furnished to the Employee by RHI entering
into this agreement, for a period of twelve (12) months after the Termination
Date (regardless of the reason for termination or whether such termination was
by RHI or by the Employee), Employee agrees that he shall not, directly or
indirectly, on behalf of any Competitor, Solicit or perform services for any
Customer. Such restriction on Soliciting or performing services for Customers
shall apply regardless of whether or not any such Customer was previously a
customer of Employee or whether or not such Customer was previously, or is at
the time of Solicitation or the performance of services, a customer of any
Competitor.
<PAGE>

         (c) In consideration of Employee's position with the RHI Companies and
in view of the valuable consideration furnished to the Employee by RHI entering
into this agreement, for a period of twelve (12) months after the Termination
Date (regardless of the reason for termination or whether such termination was
by RHI or by the Employee), Employee agrees that he shall not directly or
indirectly, Solicit any Other Employee to either leave the employ of the RHI
Companies or to become connected in any way with any Competitor.

         (d) The provisions of this Section 5 shall survive termination of
either Employee's employment or this Agreement for any reason.

         6. After termination of Employee's employment with the RHI Companies,
Employee shall not indicate on any stationery, business card or advertising,
solicitation or other business materials that he is or was formerly an employee
of any of the RHI Companies, or any division thereof, except in the bona fide
submission of resumes and the filling out of applications in the course of
seeking employment. The provisions of this Section 6 shall survive termination
of either Employee's employment or this Agreement for any reason.

         7. In view of Employee's access to confidential information and trade
secrets and in consideration of the value of such property to the RHI Companies,
Employee expressly acknowledges that the covenants not to compete and the
related restrictive covenants set forth herein are reasonable and necessary in
order to protect and maintain the proprietary and other legitimate business
interests of the RHI Companies, and that the enforcement thereof would not
prevent Employee from earning a livelihood. Employee further represents and
acknowledges that Employee views the entry by RHI into this Agreement as
valuable consideration given to the Employee in return for the Employee's
covenants contained herein. Employee further agrees that in the event of an
actual or threatened breach by Employee of such covenants, RHI and the other RHI
Companies would be irreparably harmed and the full extent of injury resulting
therefrom would be impossible to calculate and RHI and the other RHI Companies
therefore will not have an adequate remedy at law. Accordingly, Employee agrees
that temporary and permanent injunctive relief would be appropriate remedies
against such breach, without bond or security; provided, that nothing herein
shall be construed as limiting any other legal or equitable remedies RHI or the
other RHI Companies might have. Enforcement of the covenants contained herein
may be effected individually or in the aggregate by any one or more of RHI or
the other RHI Companies.

         8. Failure of any party to insist upon strict compliance with any of
the terms, covenants and conditions hereof shall not be deemed a waiver or
relinquishment of the right to subsequently insist upon strict compliance with
such term, covenant or condition or a waiver or relinquishment of any similar
right or power hereunder at any subsequent time.

         9. The provisions of this Agreement are severable. If any provision is
found by any court of competent jurisdiction to be unreasonable and invalid,
that determination
<PAGE>

shall not affect the enforceability of the other provisions. Furthermore, if any
of the restrictions against various post-employment activities is found to be
unreasonable and invalid, the court before which the matter is pending shall
enforce the restriction to the maximum extent it deems to be valid. Such
restrictions shall be considered divisible both as to time and as to
geographical area, with each month being deemed a separate period of time and
each one mile radius from any of the Applicable Offices being deemed a separate
geographical area. The restriction shall remain effective so long as the same is
not unreasonable, arbitrary or against public policy.

         10. The provisions of Sections 4, 5, 6, and 7 shall be governed by the
laws of the state in which an activity occurred or threatens to occur and with
respect to which legal and equitable relief is sought. In no event shall the
choice of law be predicated upon the fact that any of the RHI Companies is
incorporated or has its corporate headquarters in a certain state.

         11. This agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties
with respect to the matters covered hereby and, except as provided in the next
sentence, supersedes all prior agreements (other than the Severance Agreement
dated October 1, 1991 between RHI and Employee, which is superseded only to the
extent described herein and therein), arrangements or understandings, whether
written or verbal, with respect to such matters. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
RHI and Employee acknowledge that the obligations contained in sections 4, 5, 6,
and 7 hereof are in addition to, and not in lieu of, the obligations of Employee
and the rights of the RHI Companies (a) contained in the Employment Agreement
dated as of March 24, 1986 between Robert Half of Minnesota, Inc. (to which RHI
is successor in interest by merger) and Employee, (b) contained in any other
agreement between Employee and the RHI Companies or (c) imposed by law.

         12. This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit
of the successors and assigns of the parties hereto.

         13. This Agreement is not an employment agreement, and nothing herein
shall be construed as giving employee any rights to, or expectation of,
continued employment or employment at any particular position or salary. This
Agreement shall not affect any right of either the RHI or Employee to terminate
Employee's employment at any time and for any reason.

         14. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, all of which shall
constitute only one agreement.

             IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have set their hands hereto as of
the date first above written.

                                    ROBERT HALF INTERNATIONAL INC.

                                    By   HAROLD M. MESSMER, JR.
                                      -------------------------
                                         Harold M. Messmer, Jr.
                                         Chairman & Chief Executive Officer

                                         PAUL F. GENTZKOW
                                    ----------------------
                                         Paul F. Gentzkow

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