Summer vacation is coming, but not all Dutch people take their usual number of vacation days due to the corona crisis. A tour of the NOS shows that companies deal differently with the vacation days of their staff. Some companies fear for employees who save their days until a holiday abroad is possible again, while others hope that their employees will not take a holiday because they are badly needed due to crowds.
In the Netherlands, the employee is leading when planning a holiday. He indicates which days he or she wants to be free, an employer can only refuse that if there is a serious reason for doing so. An employer can never force an employee to take a holiday in a certain period of time, but can only make a request. A previous survey by the General Employers’ Association of the Netherlands (AWVN) shows that 58 percent of employers made such a request.
Health
Achmea, KPN and ABN Amro, among others, report to the NOS that fewer holidays are taken compared to last year. “If a company wants to encourage leave, a boss cannot do it alone,” said an AWVN spokesperson. “You must consult with the union or works council and take into account employment contracts and collective agreements.”
Some companies want to encourage leave, not only to prevent a reservoir of vacation hours, but also to ensure the health of the employees. For example, CSU Cleaning Services says: “The fact that one cannot go on holiday is not a direct reason for us to withdraw the leave, because, as usual, you have to take a rest.”
Attractive
“Open days leave on the balance sheet of a company”, says Hermine Voûte, lawyer in employment law. A company must reserve money for the holidays that are still open, so a reservoir is undesirable. In addition, Voûte believes that many employers assume that it will become busier later in the year. There must then be people to absorb the crowds.
Businesses that are a bit quieter now or want to avoid such an ‘hour mountain’ can make taking holidays attractive. For example, KPN has an arrangement that employees can take a day off from April 1 to June 1 that ‘costs’ 6 hours, while you ‘get’ 8 hours. For employees with children in primary school, a day off only costs 4 hours. This has led to more take-up of leave at KPN.
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