Employers deal differently with the consequences of early school closures

Parents and companies have extra stress due to the school closures, according to a tour of the FNV trade union. The schools are closed a week earlier than planned because of the new omikron variant, but emergency care is not available to everyone. Parents who have to work but don’t have a crucial profession are desperately looking for babysitting or other solutions.

The answers of about 1500 respondents show that about half of the employers have not taken extra measures to support parents during the Christmas holidays. In about a quarter, the employee does not know whether this is the case.

The most common solutions are that the employee does not have to work a full working day, that agreements have been made to make up work later, that extra leave has been granted and that the employer has offered a babysitter.

‘The work must go on’

Barbara Bijlard, business director of advertising agency 180 Amsterdam, opted for the latter solution. Many of the 120 employees have school-aged children. “The panic struck for a while, when it was said at the press conference on Tuesday that the schools would close earlier. So last minute, then people have a problem.”

Bijlard himself is recording commercials this week. “Then I’ll just be away from home for two full days. And calling on grandma is not wise at the moment either.”

The advertising agency now offers staff a helping hand: it engages a babysitting service and pays extra expenses. Bijlard thinks that’s great: “I – and many others – certainly use it.”

Such solutions are also in the interest of employers, says Bijlard. “The work must continue. Employees cannot be missed in this busy time. Commercials must be completed. For example, customers have already purchased television broadcasting time. If we do not finish our work on time, that also costs a lot of money.”

‘Not all employers think along’

But not all employers are so willing and cooperative, says FNV. Vice-chairman Kitty Jong: “We don’t hear many positive reports about that. Employers who try to arrange things well are often the companies where many employees were already able to work from home and already have a good relationship with the staff.”

Jong is especially concerned about people who have a non-critical profession, but who still have to go to work. According to her, there are employers who say: ‘Look, you want children, you solve the problem yourself’. I heard that too, but thirty years ago. Unbelieveable.”

‘Enter a conversation’

The union calls on companies to enter into a dialogue with the employees: “Ask whether something needs to be done. Go find a solution. If extra expenses are incurred, try to recover this from the government together with us.”

The outgoing cabinet hopes that employers will be flexible in finding a solution.

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