“ Migrant health insurance is part of being a good employer ”

Borst Bloembollen uses the services of LTO Arbeidskracht to purchase health insurance for foreign employees who are temporarily staying in the Netherlands. For Borst Bloembollen, this is part of being a good employer. And it’s not just a matter of decency, says Linda Dekker.

Every year, tens of thousands of seasonal workers are employed in Dutch agriculture and horticulture. They often come from abroad. Foreign workers are required to take out Dutch health insurance if they come to work in the Netherlands.

For foreign workers, it is not easy to have one health insurance to close. They are often unaware of this obligation. To prevent employees from being fined and starting to work uninsured, employers support their seasonal workers when they buy Dutch health insurance. More and more companies are using the services of LTO Arbeidskracht.

One of these companies is Borst Bloembollen. “When growing and forcing bulbs, we have a few times a year where we need a lot of work. This includes activities during the harvest and processing period of June and July, and during the winter months, forcing the bulbs into the hatchery, ”says Linda Dekker. She takes care of personnel matters at Borst Bloembollen.

“We call on seasonal workers during these peaks of work. In our company we work a lot with Polish employees.
For Dekker, it goes without saying to use the services of LTO Arbeidskracht when purchasing health insurance for foreign seasonal workers.

“When I started working here almost seven years ago, the company that deals with the payroll administration pointed out to me the good reputation of LTO Arbeidskracht. Thanks to a large number of clients in the agricultural sector, LTO Arbeidskracht has been able to develop a lot of knowledge, skills and experience. We also like to use it at Borst Bloembollen, ”says Dekker.

Short lines

Dekker emphasizes clear and fast communication via email, phone, website and newsletter. “The short line with the employer line is also a plus for LTO Arbeidskracht. And I also like that there are few changes of contact people.

Why does Borst Bloembollen care about employee health insurance? “We see this as part of being a good employer. Foreign seasonal workers often speak neither Dutch nor English. This language barrier alone makes it very difficult for them to purchase health insurance, ”says Dekker. “ If we can take that away from them, we help our employees and we also know for sure that they are insured in cases where they need health insurance. ”
In his view, being a good employer is not just a matter of decency. “You are spreading good employment practices to your employees, which creates mirror behavior on the part of the employees towards the employer,” she says.

“Satisfied employees are very profitable for the employer. This can manifest itself in, among other things, higher productivity, lower absenteeism, and seasonal workers wanting to work for you again the following season. We love having people we already know. Good employment practices also stimulate word of mouth when recruiting new seasonal workers ”.

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Breast flower bulbs known for their new tulips

Borst Bloembollen in Obdam, North Holland is a growing and forcing company that mainly focuses on tulips and also supplies peonies and peony cuttings. A specialty of the company is the propagation and introduction of new tulips. Tulips are cultivated in West Frisia, Flevoland, Noordoostpolder, New Zealand and Chile. In total, about 160 hectares in 700 different cultivars. This month Borst Bloembollen presented four new tulips: three fringed varieties and a parrot.

Fixed working method

Dekker explains that she has a fixed way of working when hiring new seasonal workers. “We ask if they themselves have health insurance in place. Sometimes it does, but usually not. In the majority of cases, we help to purchase health insurance, ”she explains.

“For us, as a customer of LTO Arbeidskracht, this requires little effort. It takes less than five minutes per employee to purchase insurance through the LTO portal. The declaration of healthcare bills is also organized in no time and leads to proper settlement. If you have any questions, you will always receive a response from LTO Arbeidskracht within 24 hours.

Sad accident

Two years ago a sad accident underscored the importance of good health insurance. Four Polish employees of Borst Bloembollen were killed when their car hit the water after work. Dekker: “We immediately contacted LTO Arbeidskracht. The repatriation of the killed employees was organized in close cooperation with HollandZorg. The LTO Arbeidskracht thus relieved us of the work; a job you don’t want in such sad circumstances.

It concludes that an active attitude on the part of the employer is a consequence of the employment of a migrant worker health insurance can guarantee that no unpleasant surprises arise afterwards. Organize it well for the employee and the employer. And if you do this through LTO Arbeidskracht, it doesn’t take a lot of time and as an employer you keep the overview.

Affordable group health insurance

LTO Arbeidskracht helps entrepreneurs provide their migrant workers with affordable group health insurance. Employees benefit from excellent basic health insurance as well as a number of additional conditions, such as repatriation to their home country in the event of death and urgent dental treatment. The employee pays a low daily premium and has no mandatory deductible.

This article was created by our knowledge partner LTO Arbeidskracht