Changes to Dutch Labour laws
The Dutch Government recently unveiled plans to overhaul several rules and regulations within the Dutch labour market in order to give better protection to workers so “people have more certainty about their income and their schedule” said Karien van Gennip, Minister of Social Affairs & Employment in a statement. The aim is to allow entrepreneurs in NL to “feel better protected in event of adversity”
Given the recent upheaval & disruption to jobs and the workplace, with employees in many areas such as hospitality and travel suddenly being made redundant during the pandemic years and then the rush by employers having to fill those gaps once things were “back to normal” it’s not surprising that those in the workforce are feeling vulnerable, unappreciated, unmotivated and demoralized. The new rules have been designed to help protect workers by safeguarding their rights as well as to encourage people back into work.
What are the biggest planned changes to the labour laws?
Zero hour contracts are replaced by Fixed Basic Contracts which state a minimum number of hours the employee will work. However students who work part time will still be able to work on “on call” contracts.
Temporary Contracts restricted
Until now, many employees on temporary contracts have found themselves back on another temporary contract just 6 months after “leaving” their jobs. This gave employers the ability to “re-hire” the same employees time and again on temporary contracts rather than offering them definite contracts. While this may have been an advantage to employers, workers were denied a sense of security and peace of mind of a definite steady job with the protection and benefits this holds. With the new rules, employees will have to wait 5 years before “re-hiring” a former employee on a temporary contract.
Mandatory Insurance for ZZP’ers
Freelancers and entrepreneurs without employees will be able to insure themselves against periods when they cannot work due to illness or injury. The Dutch government will be introducing an affordable but mandatory package in 2027, obliging those who are not already insured to use. Those ZZP’ers who are already insured will not be obliged to switch to the government package.
New measures to help employers replace absentee employees
While the government’s new rules are primarily designed to offer more protection to employees in the workforce, small businesses often suffer when their employees go on prolonged leave of absence such as for sickness.
Currently employers have to wait 2 years before being able to replace an absent employee, but under the new plans, small businesses can prepare for a replacement after 1 year.
New Scheme to give employees protection: Crisis Scheme for Personnel Retention
To avoid the disruption to people’s lives and incomes that happened during the recent pandemic, the Dutch Government has created a new scheme where employees can be transferred to a different position within the company or work reduced hours for up to six months while retaining their right to unemployment benefits.
