Last Thursday on 15 October, the Dutch Chamber hosted the event “Doing Business in the Netherlands” at the Dutch Embassy in Stockholm. We were delighted to welcome our members for an insightful afternoon filled with valuable information, supported by the Swedish Chamber in the Netherlands, NFIA, BDO, Eversheds Sutherland, and Montae & Partners.

The afternoon began with a mingle and lunch at the residence of the Ambassador. After a warm welcome by Joost Reintjes, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Sweden, and Manuel Harmsen, Chair of the Dutch Chamber, we kicked off with a Round Table Discussion.

The discussion centered on key considerations when starting a business in the Netherlands, with a particular focus on employee benefits. Our business partners shared their expertise on the various aspects entrepreneurs should consider before establishing a business in the Netherlands — including how to attract and retain talent.

Among the topics discussed were:
• The Dutch Expat Ruling — its current status and possible future changes.
• The Dutch pension system, including crucial rules and regulations relevant to new businesses.
• The importance of understanding sector classification and collective labour agreements in the Netherlands.
• The sometimes complex interplay between Dutch national law and EU regulations.
After the break, we took a closer look at these subjects through presentations by our partners:
• Swedish Chamber in the Netherlands – Better Relations, Better Business, Petra Beets
• NFIA – Support for Your Growth in the Netherlands, Anne Jansen
• BDO – Tax and Social Security, Robin Schalekamp
• Eversheds Sutherland – Employment and Pension Law, Bas Dieleman & Thijs Dalmolen
• Montae & Partners – Benefits, Insurance and Pension, Ron van Overhagen
The inspiring afternoon concluded with an opportunity for networking and specific questions, accompanied by drinks and light refreshments.

We extend our sincere thanks to Joost Reintjes and all our speakers for their preparation, time, and contribution to the engaging discussions during both the round table and the presentations.

Finally, we warmly invite all our members and network to join us for our next seminar, “Leading Through Uncertainty,” on November 14. 
Feel free to bring colleagues, clients, or partners as we continue to grow and strengthen our community.

/S.D.

Yesterday, we gathered in Stockholm for our Dutch Chamber lunch on Pay Transparency, hosted by our corporate member Eversheds.

Are You Ready for Pay Transparancy?

We discussed how companies and HR teams can prepare for the upcoming EU regulation, which takes effect in June next year. Companies are expected to already have insight into potential pay gaps before the end of this year, yet many HR teams still hesitate to act.

With valuable insights from Chris van der Schoor, the discussion covered both the reasons why this new law matters for diversity, equality, but also how this can make the role of HR teams in managing salaries easier, and the requirements and practical steps towards implementation.

For more information on how Per Westman and Eversheds has been supporting employers to get ready for the requirements of the Pay Transparency Directive, including gap analysis against existing practices, advice on existing local laws, training and action plans, please visit their Keeping Pace with Pay Equality and Transparency webpage.

A warm thank you to Chris and Per, and all participants for their sharp questions and great conversation during lunch.
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This was part of our lunch series with focus on People! We invite our members, as well as HR professionals (including non-members), so feel free to bring colleagues, clients, or relations to the upcoming seminar on November 14 on Leading Trough Uncertainty as we continue to broaden our network.

/MH