Borealis ensures compliant cross-border employment thanks to international payroll provider's expertise

Foreign nationals working in Belgium, also known as expatriates, benefit from a special tax status. That means a lot of additional administration for their employers. Moreover, the subject matter is very complex. That's why Borealis called on SD Worx for help. 

Borealis is Europe's second-largest producer of polyethylene and polypropylene plastics. This Austrian chemical giant employs around 6,800 staff in more than 120 countries worldwide. Its cross-border employment has increased due to closer cooperation between its Belgian and Dutch branches. The company therefore wanted a partner with international payroll expertise and a knowledge of both countries' social and tax legislation. They found this at SD Worx, their trusted HR and payroll provider.

Best in class

Expanding the existing collaboration with SD Worx was a deliberate choice. Ingrid Sas, Reward Specialist at Borealis Group: "We compared proposals from various providers, but the services offered by SD Worx were miles better. Right from the start, they exhibited great professionalism and experience. Their consultants had perfect answers to all our questions straight away."

Fully integrated approach

It was no small challenge. The status of those employed at Borealis Group varies widely. Adding cross-border workers made payroll calculation a truly Herculean task. This involves an analysis of Belgian and Dutch legislation, the creation of accurate employment contracts for the cross-border workers and correct payroll calculations for each of these. A thorough knowledge of social security, taxation, labour law and payroll administration is indispensable. "An additional benefit is that SD Worx is familiar with our payroll system and already has access to our salary bookings. Having all this information handy assured a fast, smooth and above all, correct implementation."

Phased implementation

The chemical company also has nothing but praise for how things went. "At first our provider only handled our international payroll for cross-border workers. Later they also took care of the foreigners' special status. This phased roll-out allowed us to spread the workload over time. Great efforts were made on both sides to let the implementation run as smoothly as possible", Ingrid Sas recalls. "SD Worx clearly communicated their approach and acted as a proactive, solution-driven partner."