Jacintha van Bijnen-Den Haag, strategic pension advisor at insurance broker Aon, describes herself as ‘Wtp-critical’ responding to the new Future Pensions Act (Wet Toekomst Pensioenen, Wtp): ‘This legislation is held together by patches.’ Companies, which up to now have been rather passive, will have much work ahead.

Ideally, pension specialist Roos van der Velden would have liked to see a mandatory pension for everyone. But politicians do not dare to do that. In her view, the Future Pensions Act (WTP) is a meager alternative. ‘That the WTP is better suited to the current labor market is an unworldly idea.’

Companies will soon be allowed to choose whether to ‘opt in’ when the WTP is introduced. There is something to be said for both opting in but also for not doing so. But, says Daan Kleinloog, actuary at Sprenkels and chairman of the Royal Actuarial Society: ‘Not to opt in means that the compensation costs will have to come from the premiums and premiums will go up, or accrual will go down.’

With the introduction of the Future Pensions Act (WTP), the pension system is being addressed - and it was inevitable. Pension lawyer Theo Gommer comments on the new scheme. ‘There is still too little freedom of choice. We need to move on to a WTP 2.0.’

Supervisory Board Members play an important role in achieving an inclusive organization. 'Often the realization that things have to be different is not enough,' says Jacques van den Broek, former CEO of Randstad and now a non-executive director at tech company CM.com, amongst others. His advice: 'Don't do everything at once, start with gender.'

A diverse, inclusive company benefits performance, but how do you make everyone feel welcome and how do you deal with dilemmas? Three top executives take a candid look at their own diversity and inclusion policies. “It can mean leaving a job open for longer, even if this affects your business. That is when it is most important to persevere.”

To become an inclusive organization, everyone needs to behave inclusively, says Geraldine Fraser. That sounds simple enough, but according to the chief people officer of FrieslandCampina, this is often overlooked. ‘Asking what the organization should do differently is not enough. You also need to ask what employees do themselves.’

Bringing employees together also means collecting expertise and letting creativity flow. In the eyes of Bill Baker, CHRO at Wolters Kluwer, returning to the office is therefore a precondition for success. At the same time, people value flexibility. Baker is for this reason constantly looking for ways to maintain the connection. ‘It certainly makes it necessary to think through how you structure your work so that people are going to be present and available.’

The regulations regarding partner- and orphan pension, among many other things, will change under the new Future Pensions Act (Wet Toekomst Pensioenen or WTP). Employers who want to avoid financial problems for surviving relatives should take action now, according to senior sales consultant Joost de Visser of elipsLife. ‘January 1, 2028, is closer than you think.’

The updated corporate governance code contains an ambitious but nuanced call for business to make a difference when it comes to diversity & inclusion, argues Stefan Duran, Head of Business Development Benelux at life insurer elipsLife. The extent to which D&I policies contribute to the company's bottom line is rightly paramount: after all, no one can jump from the basement to the top floor overnight.

Attracting and retaining diverse talent requires a change of purpose and culture in order to become more appealing to a wider demographic in a tight labor market. This is not easy, but it is very rewarding, writes Stefan Duran.

The recently proposed revision of the Dutch corporate governance code in the area of diversity and inclusion (D&I) goes quite far, says Stefan Duran, head of sales Benelux at life insurer elipsLife. Many organizations will have to work hard to comply with the revised code, but it will also give us opportunities, for example in the field of ESG.