Remote work is a legal right in the Netherlands?
A legal right to work from home does not exist. The Flexible Working Act permits your staff to file a formal request to work (partially) from home, nevertheless. Considering that they are worried about their health, for instance. Any justification for declining such a request must be valid.
Examples of good reasons are:
- Working from home causes problems with the work schedule.
- The work cannot be done elsewhere.
- The home workplace is not safe or suitable for work.
There are also conditions for employees who want to work from home:
- The company must have a minimum of 10 employees.
- The employee must have been employed for at least six months.
- The employee must submit a written request no later than 2 months before the desired start date.
This choice is being made at a time when employees, despite declining COVID numbers, vastly prefer remote work over being in the office. According to Pew Research, 61 percent of individuals choose to work from home, albeit this decision isn't always made because their workplaces are closed. They claimed to have a better work-life balance, feel more at ease working from home, and save money by forgoing the daily journey.
In contrast, Microsoft discovered that despite the absence of employee support, 50% of businesses still want their staff to work from the office full-time.
Thanks & Regards
Ramakrishna Raju