Dutch Senate Rejects Act Working Wherever You Want

On 26 September 2023, the Dutch Senate rejected the initiative bill implementing the Dutch Act working wherever you want (the Bill). The Bill, which had already been submitted to the House of Representatives in January 2021, aimed to amend the Dutch Flexible Working Act (Wet flexibel werken) with regard to employees' requests to adjust their workplace. With this Bill, the employee's position to make a choice between working from home or working on location would be strengthened.

Working wherever you want

The purpose of the Bill was to make it easier for employees to make arrangements to work from home or another work location (within the EU). In the initial Bill, the employer could reject an employee's request to adjust the workplace if there were compelling business or service interests. Following the SER advice on 'Hybrid working', the initiators amended the Bill. After consulting with the employee on his/her request, it was up to the employer to decide.