News item | 21-03-2022 | 11:23
For more than two years, the advice was to work from home to prevent the spread of corona. Fortunately, we can leave the advice to work from home to combat the coronavirus behind us and we have reached a tipping point: from urgent advice to working from home to prevent infections, to the choice of going to the office or working from home. The coming period offers scope to switch to hybrid working. Minister Karien van Gennip of Social Affairs and Employment calls on employers and employees to make proper agreements about this and is working on an Agenda for the future. She wrote this today in a letter to the House of Representatives.
“Hybrid working is the future. It is one of the learning points that we take from the corona crisis: the Netherlands has shown that working from home works and many people want to continue to work from home. I have great appreciation for all workers who have worked from home a lot in the past two years. This was not always easy for many, but it was important to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Now that the work from home advice has expired, we can continue working in a hybrid way. Talk to your employer, employees or colleagues and make lasting clear agreements. Take the opportunities that are there.”
Minister Karien van Gennip
Hybrid works
Working people can now discuss with their employer where they want to work and many want to continue to work (partly) at home. They are more productive at home, have no more traveling time and can more easily combine work and private life. At the same time, being regularly in the office also has advantages: you talk to your colleagues more often and more easily, it is easier to come together as a team and there is a clearer distinction between work and home. Employers also see benefits. It fits with more attention to attracting talent, corporate social responsibility, has an impact on traffic jams and is cost-effective.
The cabinet is asking for extra attention for employees who have concerns about their health. They must also be able to work safely. For employers and employees there are on www.hoewerktnederland.nl and on www.arboportaal.nl You can find various tips about healthy and safe working from home and hybrid working.
Agenda for the future
The cabinet is also working on an Agenda for the future on hybrid working. This agenda includes which developments and factors are required to shape a good hybrid balance sheet in a sustainable manner. One of the building blocks for this is the SER advice on hybrid working in the future, which was drawn up at the request of the cabinet. That is expected in the very short term.