Reinier advises national and international companies
reinier.russell@russell.nl +31 20 301 55 55How do you create a transparent, open and professional corporate culture where everyone knows which actions would be considered appropriate and which would (not) be considered ethically acceptable?
Increasingly often, company managers are dismissed because of violations of the code of conduct, such as involvement in scandal, (sexual) harassment, fraud or leaks of sensitive information. This is also due to the increasing public interest in this kind of violations and the zero tolerance policy nowadays applied by many companies.
Of course, you want all your employees to act with integrity, but you should definitely be able to rely on the major players of your company. A director who is subject to an integrity investigation while he should set an example for your employees can cause a difficult situation.
How do you, as an entrepreneur, make sure that everyone who acts on behalf of your company, both inside and outside the company, acts in a manner you desire?
Our lawyers recommend to have drawn up an integrity policy containing the core values and rules of conduct of the company.
The integrity policy can either be a separate document or it can be included as part of the employee handbook / code of conduct which also contains a social media policy.
Russell Advocaten helps enterprises and their directors carrying out an investigation (fact finding/integrity screening) and conducting proceedings regarding integrity issues within companies. In addition, our lawyers provide advice on what you can do to create the desired work environment, for example by drafting, implementing and maintaining a sound integrity policy. Please contact:
Taking steps in the event of irregularities or a #MeToo-related issue in your company? Make sure all facts are disclosed by means of a thorough investigation of the facts!
What can you do to prevent sexual harassment on the workfloor? And what do you, as an employer, have to do if it does occur unexpectedly?
The salary thresholds for highly skilled migrants and European Blue Card holders are adjusted annually. What will be the amounts for 2026? Also, stricter rules for the highly skilled migrant scheme are proposed. What might change?
On-call contracts offer many advantages for both employers and on-call employees. However, there are also a few rules that they need to take into account. What are they?
What shall we do with the drunken employee? Sack him? That isn’t always allowed. Alcohol abuse may be the result of an addiction and in that case the prohibition on termination during illness may apply. What do you have to take into account when dismissing an employee due to alcohol consumption?
24 November 2025 was Equal Pay Day in the Netherlands: the day of the year when men have earned on average as much as women in a whole year. How can the European Directive on wage transparency ensure that men and women are paid equally?
