Employer of Record for regulated sectors: Dutch legal depth since 1987, in-house 30% ruling and HSM visa handling, with our own entities in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and Cyprus rather than a resold partner network.
“From payrolling several hundred professionals worldwide to supporting with daily HR tasks. Octagon is and still remains a great partner for us.”
The challenge
Octagon has been running Dutch employment under its own legal roof since 1987, and today we operate our own entities across six European markets: the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and Cyprus, with IND Recognised Sponsor status for HSM visa processing. Establishing a legal entity in the Netherlands costs EUR 15,000 to 25,000 and takes 8 to 12 weeks. In Germany, France, and Italy the requirements are equally complex. For companies hiring one to ten employees, the cost and overhead of a local entity outweigh the benefits. An Employer of Record removes the barrier without introducing a platform layer between you and the employment, with payroll-only onboarding typically landing in five business days once contracts and data are in hand.
How we are different
Most global EOR platforms compete on how many countries they list. For aerospace, defence, international organisations, and regulated technology, that ranking does not describe who carries the compliance risk or who answers when the tax authority calls.
Octagon operates its own entities across six European markets: the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and Cyprus. We do not resell through a chain of local partners. Our Dutch payroll is run in-house with G-account chain-liability mitigation for clients. The 30% ruling and HSM visa work is handled by our own team under IND Recognised Sponsor status. Our client roster in regulated sectors has been built across 39 years.
Where platforms optimise for a self-serve dashboard, we optimise for the cases that break it: 30% ruling with prior residence, Wet DBA and Wet VBAR reclassification, CAO pension interactions, security-cleared hires, and employees moving between the Dutch and UK entities under one contract.
Expand into new markets in days, not months, with zero entity setup cost and full local compliance.
Our Employer of Record service handles employment contracts, payroll, tax withholding, social contributions, and statutory benefits, giving your team everything they need to operate from day one across the Netherlands, UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Cyprus.
Choose the right EOR model for your situation.
Why Octagon
Octagon operates its own legal entities in six European markets: the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and Cyprus. Your employees are employed by us directly, not subcontracted through a chain of third parties. Global EOR platforms sell country count; we sell direct legal presence in the sectors where compliance matters.
Our Dutch payroll runs on standardised processes for wage tax filings, social security, holiday allowance, and pension administration. Each run is checked before it leaves the door, and we mitigate statutory chain liability for clients through G-account payments under the Wet ketenaansprakelijkheid.
30% ruling applications and Highly Skilled Migrant visa sponsorship are handled inside Octagon under our IND Recognised Sponsor status. One team, one file, rather than a chain of vendors.
Dutch payroll-only onboarding typically completes in 5 business days once contracts and employee data are in hand. Full EOR setup including benefits, pension, and visa typically completes in 2 to 4 weeks.
When your headcount reaches the break-even point, we manage the structured transition from EOR to your own entity. Employee transfers, contract novation, and compliance handover.
Founded in 1987. Our contracts, processes, and client roster reflect 39 years of Dutch employment-law operation. Trusted by approved clients including Europol, OPCW, Shell, and Swisscom.
We don't hide things in the contract. Clear terms, agreed up front, no surprises at renewal.
Six countries, one provider. Our own entities in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and Cyprus mean your team runs under one relationship rather than a network of locally-sourced vendors you'd need to coordinate yourself.
We don't cut corners on CAO adherence, pension contributions, or holiday allowance. These are statutory and not negotiable.
A personal approach to every enquiry. You're heard, understood, and business continues as usual — whether you're onboarding a first hire or escalating a compliance question at month eighteen.
Curious about scope or compliance for your setup? Get in touch. The EOR cost calculator and contractor-risk checker are also there if you want to work through the numbers yourself first.
Use cases
From tech scale-ups hiring their first European engineer to established businesses managing contractor compliance.
Fast-growing tech companies do not have six months to set up a Dutch entity before hiring their first engineer. They need employees on payroll inside a month, with 30% ruling applied correctly and the flexibility to scale up or adjust as the business evolves.
Post-Brexit, hiring in the Netherlands from the UK involves navigating two separate employment law systems with no passporting of rights between them. Octagon operates entities in both countries, managing compliance across the Channel under one contract.
For Dutch businesses using contractors, Wet VBAR means assessing every working relationship and converting those that do not meet the independence criteria before enforcement begins.
Insights
A step-by-step look at what happens between signing an EOR agreement and your employee starting work in the Netherlands. Typically 2-4 weeks for EU nationals, 6-8 weeks with visa requirements.
Beyond the obvious fees, operating without an EOR in the Netherlands exposes you to compliance penalties, pension fund errors, and retroactive employee claims. Here is what most companies miss.
Applying an incorrect collective labour agreement, or failing to apply one at all, creates liability for back-pay, pension shortfalls, and employee claims. Here is how the costs add up.
Self-serve tool
Estimate what employment in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, or Cyprus would cost under our EOR before you talk to us.
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Payroll-only onboarding in 5 business days. Full EOR setup with benefits, pension, and visa sponsorship in 2 to 4 weeks. Own entities across six European markets (the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and Cyprus), IND Recognised Sponsor, chain-liability mitigation via G-account.