The SNA Certification Mark
The SNA scheme sets requirements for, among other things, the financial, payroll, and personnel administration of companies that provide temporary workers (temp agency sector) and of contractors and subcontractors. These requirements consist of Dutch laws and regulations, supplemented by requirements set by the SNA quality mark.
Each company is audited on the following points, among others:
- Requirements regarding the organization’s identity;
- The reporting and payment of payroll taxes and sales tax;
- Any non-compliance of wage payments with the Minimum Wage Act (WML);
- Audit of personnel records;
- Hiring in, lending out, or outsourcing work;
- Review of certain specific collective bargaining agreement (CBA) provisions for companies falling under the scope of the ABU, NBBU, or the Meat Sector CBA.
For each component, you will receive a detailed checklist in advance listing the documents the inspector would like to review during the inspection. To ensure the inspection runs smoothly, it is essential that these documents are readily available. This also helps keep costs down, because if an inspector has to work longer, those additional costs will be passed on to you. That would be a shame!
After the inspection
Within four weeks of the NEN 4400-1 inspection, you’ll receive the inspection report containing the assessment. If no major non-conformities were identified, you will receive a positive assessment, and your company sufficiently meets the requirements of the certification mark.
If a minor nonconformity or comment is identified, this means that certain issues must be corrected before the next inspection, but your company currently meets the requirements of the SNA certification mark to a sufficient degree.
In both cases, we forward the results to the Stichting Normering Arbeid (SNA). You do not need to take any action. SNA processes our report, and your company will be or remain registered in the registry.
Major non-conformity
If a major non-conformity is identified, corrective action must be taken immediately. For the time being, no positive assessment will be issued in the report. In this case, you will receive a draft report within 20 business days of the inspection. You will then have 10 business days to respond substantively. This period is intended for you to substantively refute the findings. This may be the case, for example, if you have additional information regarding the major nonconformity that was not available at the time of the inspection.
If the finding of a major nonconformity becomes final, it will affect the continuation or validity of your registration in the Labor Standards Register. The company will be suspended from the registry. By undergoing a follow-up inspection of the corrective actions taken regarding the identified major nonconformity, you can demonstrate that your company once again meets the requirements of the SNA certification mark. If no follow-up inspection is conducted or if the result is unsatisfactory, the company will be permanently removed from the registry.
How often do you undergo an inspection?
Normally, an inspection takes place twice a year. However, the NEN 4400-1 standard also specifies inspection frequencies of three and twelve months. If conditions that reduce the inspection frequency apply, an inspection takes place once a year. The conditions that reduce the frequency are described in the NEN 4400-1 standard and the current standards manual.
When can an inspection begin?
Your organization can be inspected once the initial (tax) obligations arising from the provision of labor or the acceptance of work have been met. There is no need to wait to apply for the SNA certification. You can register your organization for the SNA quality mark today, and once you know when the first payments have been made, we can immediately schedule an inspection date with you. Contact us now for a no-obligation quote, and don’t forget to register with the SNA as well.
