After the pandemic hit the world, work from home has somewhat emerged as a blessing in disguise, with employees having more flexibility in terms of mobility and opportunities.
Now, Netherlands, taking a leap forward, is planning to make work-from-home a legal right for the employees. The lower house of the Dutch parliament has already passed the legislation and the bill is awaiting approval from the Senate. If the law is passed, Netherlands will be the first country to legally provide the remote working flexibility to the employees.
The bill was proposed by two Dutch lawmakers, Senna Maatoug, a member of the GroenLinks Party, and Steven van Weyenberg, a member of the Democrats 66 Party. According to the proposed bill, an employee has the right to request a work from home option, and the employer must consider the request. The employer can’t disregard the request outrightly without considering any factors or providing any reasons.
The legislation, if passed, will be a huge win for the workers rights. It could provide a better work-life balance to the employees and save them commute time and expenditure.
It is also interesting to note that the Netherlands is one of the few countries that ensure good working conditions for its workers and according to OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), the country already has the shortest average work week with the employees working an average of 29.5 hours per week.
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