What the Netherlands can learn from other countries about zzp legislation

The distinction between a zzp'er and an employee is not only an issue for the Netherlands, the discussion also plays out in other countries. In a new report, HR-tech service provider HeadFirst Group, ONL for Entrepreneurs and independent platform ZiPconomy present valuable lessons that the new cabinet and Dutch politicians can learn from other Western countries. "There are countries where the 'will of the parties' plays an important role and where entrepreneurial criteria outweigh circumstances during the assignment. It is a missed opportunity for the Netherlands if we do not value these factors," said Marion van Happen, CEO at HeadFirst Group.

Developing new laws and regulations around self-employment in the Netherlands is an urgent task for Eddy van Hijum, the new Minister of Social Affairs and Employment (SZW). When are organizations allowed to hire self-employed workers and when must they offer an employment contract? This question occupies policymakers and governments worldwide. The research report 'International perspective on zzp legislation. What the Netherlands can learn from other countries' offers in-depth insight into the solutions and approaches used in other countries.

Greater focus on entrepreneurial criteria and the individual
The Netherlands can learn a lot from the experiences of countries such as Belgium, Germany, Canada and the United States (US). "As an international HR-tech service provider, we are confronted daily with a variety of laws and regulations," says Marion van Happen, CEO of HeadFirst Group. "These experiences offer the Netherlands valuable insights. In Belgium and Germany, for example, the focus is first on entrepreneurial criteria and the identity of the worker. That is a fundamentally different approach than the one we know in the Netherlands."

No one-size-fits-all
"The report shows that there is no one-size-fits-all solution," said Erik Ziengs, president of ONL for Entrepreneurs. "It is important to learn from the experiences and solutions in other countries. This report invites a robust political-social discussion about the role of the self-employed in the labor market and our perception of this group of workers."

In doing so, there must be sufficient room for the wishes of the workers themselves, according to Ziengs and Van Happen. After all, several studies show that the vast majority of self-employed people consciously choose entrepreneurship, driven by autonomy and control over their own working day. Van Happen: "In Canada and Belgium, the 'will of the parties' plays an important role in assessing the employment relationship. It would be a missed opportunity if we do not value this factor in the Netherlands."

Ziengs adds: "If self-employed people charge a solid hourly rate, keep good financial records and proactively recruit new business, they deserve the freedom that entrepreneurship offers."

The new report can be downloaded here.