International employment in Belgium and France
The market is there, the customers are there, and a local employee is the next logical step. That insight rings true.
What is less well known: being an international employer in Belgium or France is a substantially different business than being an employer in the Netherlands. This is because the rules of the game in terms of labor law, remuneration and employership differ fundamentally. Those who discover this along the way solve it – but pay the price of delays and corrections.
What entrepreneurs name afterwards
The reflections we hear afterwards are rarely about the candidate. They are about the framework around it. We underestimated the cost. We thought we had more flexibility. We should have figured this out earlier. These are not mistakes made by inexperienced entrepreneurs – they are blind spots that arise because from the outside, being an international employer looks like a logical extension of what you already do. It isn’t. It is an expansion of your business into a different system, with different rules and different expectations.
One example that makes that concrete: an employee in Belgium with a gross salary of €48,000 and €6,000 commission ends up costing an employer about €82,800 per year. That difference – more than 50% above gross pay – is in mandatory benefits, sector agreements and social contributions that have no equivalent in the Netherlands. Not as an exception, but as a standard.
Belgium and France each require something different
Belgium requires operational discipline. The structure is clear and the system is predictable, but it leaves little room for subsequent adjustments. Those who set up working conditions properly before the first day of work have peace of mind. Those who don’t, notice it quickly.
France requires a different mindset. Employership is seen as a long-term relationship with legally defined rights and obligations. That has consequences for how you draw up contracts, how you structure variable remuneration and how much room for maneuver you have if the cooperation disappoints. The opportunities are certainly there – but the playing field does not accept improvisation.
Local talent is not an operational choice, but a commercial one
Besides the legal side, there is something less tangible but at least as decisive: effectiveness. In both countries, relationships, trust and cultural connection weigh more heavily than Dutch entrepreneurs are used to. A local professional brings not only language skills, but also a network, market insight and the ability to navigate a business culture that has its own logic. That difference is directly visible in how quickly a commercial role delivers results.
Two choices
Ultimately, as an entrepreneur, you make one of two choices:
- You get to work energetically and resolve issues as they arise. That fits with how many entrepreneurs grow – and it works. But in Belgium and certainly in France, the limits of that approach are becoming apparent relatively quickly.
- Or you treat this assumption as a strategic expansion of your business. This requires a little more preparation, but provides peace of mind, predictability and a better long-term starting point.
Want to know what that preparation entails in concrete terms?
In the white paper“Hiring local employees in Belgium and France: an entrepreneurial guide for Dutch companies,” you’ll find the actual costs per country, the legal frameworks, remuneration structures and the cultural context that determines whether a local employee can operate successfully.
Download it here.
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