News articles from Schouten Zekerheid

Pension

The Future of Pensions Act and the role of the works council

In the Netherlands, we do not have a mandatory pension scheme. However, approximately 65% of employers are required to place their pension with an industry pension fund. This means that the other 35% of employers are free to decide whether they want to offer a pension scheme to their employees.

Pension

43 years of building Schouten Zekerheid

After 47 years, figurehead Eric Kreft is leaving Schouten Zekerheid. His vision, legacy and the success of Affinity Groups in one story.

Continued payment of wages during illness - Cleaning Sector Netherlands Insurances

CleaningNL Insurances

Continued payment of wages during illness - SMNL

As an employer in the cleaning industry, you know how significant the impact of absenteeism due to illness can be. Employers are obligated to continue paying 100% of employees' wages for two years in the event of incapacity for work. This makes absenteeism due to illness one of the biggest financial risks for cleaning companies.

Employer branding

Marieke van Rhoon on leadership with impact

Marieke van Rhoon (30) grew up in Maasdam, but soon exchanged the village for the city. "The Hoeksche Waard was just a bit too quiet for me," she says with a smile. She now enjoys living in the center of Rotterdam. "Central, lively, yet surprisingly calm – the perfect combination." Outside of work, she can be found on a terrace, preferably with a good glass of wine and a view of the water. "Enjoying life is also part of it."

Health insurance

Informal care in the workplace: the silent force that deserves attention

Informal care is no longer an exception, but a reality for 1 in 4 employees. By consciously and proactively responding to this as HR, you make the difference.

Pension

Every employer, large and small, should offer a pension

In the Netherlands, we do not have a mandatory pension scheme. However, approximately 65% of employers are required to place their pension with an industry pension fund. This means that the other 35% of employers are free to decide whether they want to offer a pension scheme to their employees.

General

New partnership: transparent healthcare for pets

Discover how our collaboration with Marengo Pet Care leads to a groundbreaking pet insurance that covers all costs and is transparent.

Absence

Reintroduction of the 60+ scheme WIA: what does this mean for employers?

From 1 September 2025, the so-called 60+ scheme will be reintroduced. This scheme is intended to reduce the large backlog in the WIA assessments and to reduce the pressure on insurance physicians. The measure previously ran from October 2022 to January 2025 and will now be reintroduced for two years.

Health insurance

Mental health: a growing challenge in the workplace

Schouten Zekerheid works as a broker in group health insurance, we can conclude this insurance with several insurers

General

Mobile phone use during the accident

Did you know that an important change has been made to the European accident form? Recently, you can indicate on it whether a mobile phone was used during the accident. This may seem like a small detail, but it can have major consequences for the handling of the claim and for determining liability.

Collective Care Schouten Zekerheid

Health insurance

The power of collective health insurance

Schouten Zekerheid works as a broker in group health insurance, we can conclude this insurance with several insurers

Employer branding

Steven van den Berg: “Sometimes you have to leave to realize where you truly belong”

After a brief adventure out of the office, Steven van den Berg (35) knew for sure: Schouten Zekerheid is the place where he can develop, be himself and enjoy working on the future. 'The grass isn't always greener. And that realization only makes my return more valuable.'

Collaboration

Schouten Zekerheid supports young karting talent Sven Jansen

Schouten Zekerheid has signed a sponsorship agreement with Sven Jansen, a promising young karter. Sven races at Den Hartog Racing and will be sponsored by Schouten Zekerheid heid for the next two years to further develop his talent.

Health insurance

Use the extensive WKR to reduce the healthcare costs of your employees

Rising healthcare costs have a direct impact on the financial situation of your employees. These increasing burdens can weigh heavily, but there is good news. The expanded Work-Related Costs Scheme (WKR) offers you as an employer a unique opportunity.

Employer branding

Annemarie Slotboom: finding and engaging talents at Schouten Zekerheid

In a competitive job market, recruitment is about more than just filling vacancies. Employer branding, a strong company culture and finding people who really fit the organization play a major role. Annemarie Slotboom (30) is a recruitment specialist at Schouten Zekerheid and has been responsible for the recruitment and selection of new employees since July. In this interview, she shares her experiences, challenges and what makes working at Schouten Zekerheid so special.

Employer branding

From working student to trainee: Max about his start in the insurance world

"If you had told me a few years ago that I would be working in the insurance industry, I probably would have looked at you strangely," Max Langelaan says with a smile. Yet now he is right at home as a trainee at Schouten Zekerheid.

Absence

A truly customized solution for absenteeism

Three bottlenecks hinder effective management of sick leave: insufficient insight into influencing factors, inadequate knowledge of sick leave support, and insufficient time to develop a structural approach. All of these go hand in hand in a sick leave process, for example, in cases of combined absenteeism.

Absence

Illness and a labor dispute

If an employee reports sick, it is a significant challenge for the employer to ensure that the sick leave process runs smoothly. In addition, sick leave, especially long-term leave, costs a lot of money, and colleagues often have to absorb extra workload. This can leave the employer feeling overwhelmed when an employee calls in sick, let alone when a labor dispute is also involved.

Employer branding

Geert Bolhuis on his move to Schouten Zekerheid

After thirty years in permanent employment, Geert Bolhuis made the move to Schouten Zekerheid last year. A big step - but one that suits his no-nonsense mentality. Something has to be done. Roll up your sleeves and go.

Risk Management

Schouten Zekerheid on data-driven claims prevention

Schouten Zekerheid is launching a partnership with Hello Mobility to help fleets with data-driven damage prevention. Robin Doesburg, Sales Director Transport & Logistics at Schouten Zekerheid explains the opportunities this offers his clients.

Private

A day at the beach? With these tips, enjoyment is a real certainty!

The weather forecasts are good for the coming days. There is a good chance that you will visit the beach. However, on such a wonderful beach day, you may encounter some unpleasant surprises. Keep a close eye on your beach bag, but also check your insurance policies before you take your place on the beach.

Collaboration

Schouten Zekerheid and Beequip join hands

Schouten Zekerheid, insurance broker, and Beequip, heavy equipment leasing specialist, are joining forces. Thanks to the complementary product offerings of these two renowned financial companies, the collaboration creates an improved service to SME Netherlands. Both newly started as well as seasoned entrepreneurs have the possibility to immediately insure themselves in the right way of a good coverage in case of any damage when leasing heavy equipment.

Risk Management

A trade credit insurance is the solution for unpaid invoices

No entrepreneur wants a customer who does not pay their invoice. Unfortunately, extreme inflation, sharply rising energy prices, and shortages of personnel and materials are leading to more and more defaulters. Would you like to know how trade credit insurance can guarantee the continuity of your company if customers fail to meet their financial obligations? Then read on.

Client story

ANKO the industry association for hairdressers

With the Insurance Services Concept, Schouten Zekerheid offers suitable insurance packages for branch, professional or entrepreneurial organizations. The Knip & Klaar Polis, the Garage Package, the Broker's Policy, The From All Markets At Home Policy and the Hotel Security Package are a few examples from the range of collective insurances for employers and employees in these organizations.

ESG

ESG: How do you maintain control over governance risks?

Not only does ESG legislation (Environmental, Social and Governance) require more attention to governance. The quality of governance also has a major impact on the financial health and reputation of a company. Fraud, corruption, conflicts of interest and other forms of bad governance can have major consequences. Furthermore, the government can impose high fines if the ESG regulations are not followed.

Client story

Parfumado, an online subscription service for perfumes

'I'm not dealing with our risks on a daily basis'. As a starting entrepreneur, insurance was not the first thing Martijn van Rooy thought about. Together with his sister Floor, he founded Parfumado in 2017, an online subscription service for perfumes. 'Entrepreneurship is taking risks, we mainly focus on seizing opportunities and growth.'

Client story

Technology on the farm

Nick van der Poel enjoys running marathons. He set his record of 2 hours, 20 minutes, and 58 seconds in Rotterdam in 2022, but he's not one to boast about that super-fast time on the 42.195-kilometer course. "A cow that produces milk, now that's top sport," says Nick, laughing as he watches the cows jostling for a spot at the milking robot.

Client story

At the table with family business Swijnenburg Transport

Henk Swijnenburg runs Swijnenburg Transport, which his grandfather started in 1930, together with his wife Janica. And they are doing quite well, as their company has grown steadily in recent years. "We think the company's reputation is important, because our family name is very prominently displayed."

Client story

Storm Eunice blew over the inflatable hall of Hockey Club Rotterdam

Storm Eunice destroyed Hockey Club Rotterdam's blowout hall in February 2022. The video of the hall going airborne went viral. Former president Diederik Chevalier was shocked when he saw the havoc and thought: how am I going to explain this to the members? Soon he received a call from Schouten Zekerheid, as they too had seen the video. "The fact that we were told that we were well insured was very reassuring."

Client story

Schouten Zekerheid stood by media company Audax after water damage: 'An expert was there before lunch'

"The damage to the books wasn't too bad in the end, though a lot of magazines and comics were lost," says Tycho, who called Schouten Zekerheid at eight o'clock the next morning. "Before lunch, an expert was already there to take stock of the damage and give us some advice to prevent further damage."

Client story

'Cash is and remains legal tender'

Although the use of cash is steadily declining, banknotes and coins will not disappear from our daily lives for the time being, says Geldmaat CFO Victor de Wolff. "There are still plenty of people who want to pay in cash, and in the event of an electronic failure, we immediately fall back on cash."

Our new SZ. magazine is out

The new SZ. magazine is out. A magazine with 88 pages full of inspiring stories from various entrepreneurs. From Geldmaat to Robeco and from Swijnenburg Transport to Audax. The cover was revealed at our staff meeting on May 9, and now it's high time to let you know.

Risk Management

How to prevent and limit damage in extreme (winter) weather

Perhaps your sled, snow boots, and snow shovel are already ready, and you've already taken your skates out of storage to enjoy snow and ice fun. We completely understand, but hopefully you'll do it in a responsible and safe manner.

Pension

Pension scheme for Rhine and Inland Navigation has expired – but it is not too late to act

Since January 1, 2025, the mandatory pension scheme of the Industry Pension Fund for Rhine and Inland Navigation has officially expired. Employers in the sector have therefore become responsible for setting up a suitable pension scheme for their staff themselves. Haven't arranged this yet? Then now is the time to take action.

General

Cooperation between B&V Partners in Safety and Schouten Zekerheid - your safety in reliable hands!

Schouten Zekerheid and B&V Partners join forces. The collaboration between B&V Partners in Veiligheid and Schouten Zekerheid combines knowledge and expertise to offer an organization a comprehensive approach to safety and security. By working closely together, we give your company a better understanding of the risks you face and offer customized solutions. With a safe business, the risk and likelihood of harm decreases. This is the premise of both companies. First get safety in order before taking out a policy. This gives a company's employees the assurance that they are working in a safe environment and, in the event of an incident, the right coverage is in place.