HR consultancy built on 39 years of Dutch statutory practice: tool-backed, calculator-verified, and written by people who have operated the rules, not only read them.
“It's great to have a business partner like Octagon. Since our very first meeting, Octagon supported us with everything we needed in the HR field.”
The challenge
Dutch employment law is among the most protective in Europe, and we have been operating inside it since 1987 across six European markets. A wrongful dismissal can cost several months of salary in transition payment. CAO non-compliance triggers back-payment obligations. Pension fund errors result in regulatory fines. International employers need a partner who knows the rules before they change. Octagon is an IND Recognised Sponsor and runs an information security management system that is ISO 27001-aligned, built to the controls the standard specifies without independent audit.
How we are different
Strategy consultancies sell frameworks and exit. Octagon writes the contract, administers the CAO, files the 30% ruling, and defends the case. The advice and the execution come from the same desk.
Our recommendations are reconciled through our calculator suite and statutory glossary: transition payment, WKR free space, pension contribution, net pay under the 30% ruling. Where the advice depends on a number, we show the number and the working.
This matters most in the cases that deck-based consultancies cannot close: Wet DBA reclassification of contractors, WAB chain-rule conversion, Wet Poortwachter reintegration obligations, CAO pension scope, and Works Council thresholds. The statutory framework is where compliance is won or lost, and we work inside it every day.
From onboarding and contracts to employee relations and offboarding, we manage every stage of the employment lifecycle.
Our HR consultants bring deep local knowledge across the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, the UK, and Cyprus, ensuring your workforce operations stay compliant and efficient.
Explore our HR consultancy services in detail.
Why Octagon
Large strategy houses produce frameworks. Octagon produces contracts that hold in court, handbooks that survive a Labour Inspectorate visit, and pay scales that reconcile to the CAO. Advice written by the same people who administer it.
CAO mapping, Wet DBA and Wet VBAR reclassification, 30% ruling, WAB chain rules, Wet Poortwachter reintegration, Works Council thresholds, and RI&E obligations. Operational depth across the statutes that actually govern your workforce.
Where our advice depends on a number, we show the working. Transition payment, holiday allowance, WKR free space, pension contribution, net-pay under the 30% ruling: all reconciled through our in-house tool suite.
Since 1987. A reference library of Dutch employment-law cases, CAO applications, regulator interactions, and dismissal procedures drawn from four decades of actual files, not a database subscription.
HR consultancy connects directly to our payroll, EOR, and recruitment teams. One provider, one point of contact, no handoff between strategy and execution.
Related solution
Insights
Many international employers operating in the Netherlands are unknowingly non-compliant with collective labour agreements. This checklist helps you identify which CAO applies and what obligations it creates.
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.
The Dutch Tax Authority is intensifying enforcement of contractor classification rules. This guide covers the new VBAR criteria, what they mean for your current contractor arrangements, and the steps you need to take now to stay compliant.
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Speak with our team about compliant employment services for your European operations.