Cara Pronk

On 24 January 2023, the Senate adopted the Whistleblower Protection Act ('Wet bescherming klokkenluiders'). The Act amends the current whistleblowing legislation and implements EU Directive 2019/1973. The Act entered partially into force on 18 February 2023. The Act aims to give whistleblowers better protection against retaliation. The Act particularly affects organisations with 50 or more employees. Below you will find an overview of the main provisions and changes:

The place of work is a much debated topic. To mention a few examples: Disney recently obliged all its employees to come back to the office full-time and Twitter announced that employees must be in the office for a minimum of 40 hours a week. Meantime, the bill 'Work where you want' (Wet werken waar je wilt) is pending with the Dutch Senate. The bill does not give an absolute right to work from home, but what does it include?

Van Doorne is appointing five of its specialists as partners with effect from 1 January 2023

On 31 March 2020 the Dutch government provided further insight in the rules of the earlier announced Emergency Fund Bridging Employment, by making public the NOW (Noodmaatregel Overbrugging voor behoud van Werkgelegenheid). On 3 April and 25 May 2020 some amendments to the NOW were published. The NOW provides financial aid to companies suffering at least a 20% turnover loss during a chosen period of three months (March-May, April-June or May-July) in the form of a substantial contribution towards the wage costs during the months March, April and May. Applications for advance payments can be made with the Dutch Employee Insurance Agency (UWV). Companies can make requests under the NOW from 6 April 2020. Applications can be made at the latest on 31 May 2020. The NOW replaces the Reduced Working Time scheme, which was withdrawn in March. Applications under the Reduced Working Time scheme which were submitted prior to the withdrawal will be converted into applications under the NOW.

The Minister of Social Affairs and Employment announced on 20 May 2020 that the Dutch Emergency Fund Bridging Employment, known as the NOW (Noodmaatregel overbrugging voor behoud van werkgelegenheid), will be extended to cover the months of June, July and August 2020 in the form of the NOW 2.0. The Minister also announced some amendments to the NOW 1.0, which covers the months of March, April and May 2020. Please find a link to our article on the NOW 1.0 here. Below you will find the relevant differences between the NOW 1.0 and the NOW 2.0 and the amendments to be made to the NOW 1.0.

On 31 March 2020 the Temporary Emergency Bridging Measure for Sustained Employment (Noodmaatregel Overbrugging Werkgelegenheid in Dutch) was announced. The NOW is part of a package of exceptional economic measures taken by the Dutch government because of COVID-19 (the coronavirus). In this podcast, employment lawyers Els de Wind and Cara Pronk explain and discuss the NOW that came into effect on 2 April 2020, taking into account the changes made to the scheme on 4 April 2020.