Work from home is one of those things that started out as a nightmare but turned into the millennial daydream. There are very few things in life that are more satisfying than having the ability to wake up at 10:28 for a 10:30 meeting or watching your boss turn herself into a potato during a meeting. It was great while it lasted. Sadly, most companies have dropped their work from home mandates. They’ve either implemented a hybrid work model or called all their employees back to work. However, while we trudge to work every day the Netherlands is all set to make WFH a legal right for its citizens.
Two Dutch lawmakers, Steven van Weyenberg, a member of the pro-European D-66 Party, and Senna Maatoug, a lawmaker for the Green Party are proposing a legislation to make work from home a legal right. The two will submit the proposal before the Netherlands parliament on 3rd July before the house enters summer recess.
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If this proposal becomes a law, the Netherlands will become one of the first countries to require employers to grant their employees the flexibility to choose whether they want to work from home or come to the office. Steven van Weyenberg told Bloomberg, “We have the green light for this new law thanks to the support we received from both employees and employers’ unions. We are very hopeful it will pass before the summer.”
While this remains a dream for the rest of us, the Dutch have worked towards a more flexible work model since before the pandemic. In fact, according to reports, in a 2019 survey done by British internet service provider Plusnet ) listing the best European countries to work remotely, the Netherlands ranked number one. During the pandemic, the government encouraged people to continue working from home. In January 2022 they implemented a reimbursement programme to repay employees who have incurred extra costs because they work from home.
