The employment agency that offers you work is certified by the ABU. This means that the employment agency is independently checked for the correct application of laws and regulations. The ABU employment agency also ensures that you are clearly and correctly informed about working and living in the Netherlands. They do this together with the recruitment agency in your country of origin. In addition to correctly following laws and regulations, you can expect the following from the employment agency that is certified by the ABU:
Health and Safety: Your health and safety is our top priority. The ABU employment agency adheres to all laws and regulations and also applies the guidelines from the ABUCorona Safety Protocol for Migrant Workers during corona times. This protocol is updated every time during the different phases of the corona pandemic. The employment agency will inform you about the applicable guidelines.
Recruitment and selection: the employment agency ensures that the recruitment agency in your country of origin applies the guidelines from the ABU-Fair Recruitment Charter. Your recruiter shares this charter and the associated information and educational material.
Contract: the agency work employment contract and the accompanying documents are available to you in both Dutch and your own national language.
Remuneration: compared to Dutch temporary workers, you receive equal pay for equal work, in accordance with the rules of the collective labor agreement (CLA).
Registration: the recruitment agency and the employment agency explain the registration rules in the Netherlands to you. Dutch law requires you to register correctly in the basic registry of the government. The recruitment agency will provide you with the first information in your country of origin about the difference between the two registration options in the Netherlands: registration as a non-resident (RNI) and registration as a resident in the Personal Records Database (BRP). Do you meet the RNI rules, but would you rather register as a resident in the BRP? Ask whether this is possible in the municipality where you will be living. Not all municipalities allow this. The employment agency can help you with the registration rules.
Housing: the recruitment agency provides you with the first necessary information about living in the Netherlands. You will also see an animation video about this. Your recruiter will tell you about the housing options. You will also receive information about the conditions if you choose to let the employment agency arrange accommodation for you. You can also look for housing yourself. If you ask the employment agency to arrange housing, the following information is important to you:
Housing that is arranged by the employment agency is certified by the organization SNF. This means that the housing is checked for important parts. Information about the SNF quality mark and the SNF complaints portal can be found on the following website: https://www.normeringflexwonen.nl/information-for-residents
The employment agency can charge you costs for the use of accommodation. These costs do not exceed the actual costs of the housing. The employment agency may deduct a maximum of 25% of the statutory minimum wage from your pay slip for this. Do you want to have the costs of accommodation deducted from your pay slip? In that case, request this via a written power of attorney from the employment agency. Are the costs of using the housing higher than 25% of the minimum wage? In that case, the part of the costs for using the accommodation that is earned above the minimum wage may also be deducted. You will be informed in advance about the costs of accommodation.
Does the company you work for terminate the contract with you prematurely? Then the employment agency will give you the opportunity to rent the accommodation for at least another five nights. You can ask the employment agency if you can rent the accommodation for a longer period of time. Due to the housing shortage in the Netherlands, this is not always possible. ABU employment agencies that are active in municipalities with housing shortages ask the municipality and housing organizations to build more certified housing.
You can always ask the employment agency for general information about other housing options in the region.
Fines and compensation: the employment agency may only settle judicial and administrative fines on your pay slip. An example of this is a traffic fine that you have received yourself. The settlement of other types of fines on the pay slip is prohibited. However, you can be held liable for damage that you intentionally or recklessly inflict on the employer or the landlord. The compensation is then a maximum of the actual repair costs of the damaged object.
Information: the employment agency, together with the recruitment agency, ensures that you are informed about working and living in the Netherlands before you sign contracts or pre-contracts