Hiring employees in the Netherlands: documents to be checked
24.02.2022Establishing the identity of the employee that the company hires is a prerequisite for hiring. This rule applies not only to temporary workers, but also to those who have issued a ZZP (entrepreneurship).
In a situation where a new employee can start work almost immediately, identification will need to be carried out on the first working day.
What to do before hiring?
- Request references from past jobs. To do this, ask the candidate in advance to send contacts from previous places.
- View social networks. It is better to warn the candidate for the position in advance.
- Check diplomas. Information about them can be obtained by requesting a digital extract from the register of diplomas or a copy of the original diploma.
- Depending on the position, request a certificate of good conduct (VOG).
Note: a potential employee is not required to answer questions about health (vaccinations).
Mandatory measures: verification of documents
When hiring an employee, it is not enough to present only a driver's license. Allowed:
- Passports (issued by the relevant authority of a Member State of the EU or the EEA (European Economic Area)):
- national passport,
- diplomatic passport,
- service passport.
- Travel documents. This includes travel documents for refugees, travel documents for foreign citizens, and special travel documents.
- Dutch identity card.
- Documents that a foreign citizen must have under the Aliens Act 2000 to establish his identity, citizenship and status of residence. For example, a visa or a residence permit.
How to check your passport?
- Check your ID card for damage or wear. Pay special attention to the MRZ (Machine Readable Zone).
- Compare the passport photo with the real one. Also pay attention to age and nationality.
- Check if the person is allowed to work for the company. Residents of EU and EEA countries can work for a Dutch company by default, but everyone else needs a permit. For example, arbeid is vrij toegestaan must be written on the back of a residence permit card.
- Make a clear copy of an identity document. The document number, passport photo and the Dutch Natural Person Identification Number (BSN) must be legible. A copy of the residence permit must be made on both sides. This copy should be kept in case of possible inspections, for example by the Dutch Labor Inspectorate.
Important! The employer must keep a copy of the ID for at least 5 years after the end of the calendar year in which the employee left the company.
ADDRESS
When checking the place of residence, you need to pay attention to the following:
- Where is the address where the employee lives permanently,
- Where is it registered?
- Where is the center of his vital interests,
- Where does his partner / partner live, children,
- What school do the children go to
- In which country is he a member of any public organization,
- Where did the employee take out the insurance?
- What are his intentions.
At work
Each employee must have an identity card with them while at the workplace. During the check, workers from the Netherlands and the EU/EEA can present a driver's license.
Anonymous rate
If the identification of the employee was not carried out correctly, the employer must apply an anonymous tariff. This means that the payroll tax will be 52%.
