Hybrid work remains standard in Dutch working life. In 2025, 45% of employees worked from home at least sometimes, averaging about ten hours a week. A new office attendance rule can affect employment terms, staff representation, home-workplace duties and payroll records.
Why this matters
An attendance email can conflict with a contract, handbook, manager email or settled working pattern. At employers with at least ten employees, staff can generally request a workplace change after 26 weeks. The request is usually submitted two months before the proposed change. The employer must discuss it and respond in writing. Existing agreements may still limit what changes. A general attendance policy may also require works council consent.
Example
A 24-person advisory firm plans two fixed office days. One offer letter promises three remote days. Another employee has a manager’s written agreement. Staff receive equipment and a home-working allowance. The handbook has an older policy, and the works council has not seen the plan. The firm maps the agreements and each role first. Client meetings and secure files support office days for some jobs. Focused technical work may need a different schedule.
XTROVERSO tips
- Collect the existing records. Review contracts, addenda, collective agreements, handbook rules, offer letters and manager emails. Compare the paperwork with daily practice.
- Map work by role. Record which tasks require the office. Use reasons such as client meetings, secure files, equipment, supervision or staff training.
- Check long-standing arrangements. Identify remote-working patterns managers have accepted for a long time. Review the full employment file before treating them as informal.
- Confirm the decision route. Check whether the works council must give consent. Involve the council before announcing a finished attendance policy.
- Update home-workplace records. Match the risk assessment, plan of action, equipment register and staff instructions to the real hybrid schedule.
- Keep payroll categories clear. Record allowances, equipment reimbursements and occupational-health facilities separately. Keep invoices and the reason for each payment.
Need a practical review of your attendance rule, staff records and decision route? We can help set out the next steps
The data, sourcing, and analysis behind this article were conducted by Paolo Maria Pavan. AI was not used to identify sources, build the factual basis, or produce the analytical judgment contained here. AI was used only as a drafting aid. The final English text was personally reviewed, edited, and approved by Paolo Maria Pavan before publication.
References
- Geen recht op thuiswerken, werkgevers willen dat werknemers weer vaker op kantoor komen · Salaris Vanmorgen
- Rijksoverheid - Legal route for a request to work from home
- CBS - Latest level and sector pattern of remote-work capacity
- CBS - Employees' experienced access to home working
- CBS - What employees actually did in 2025
- Rechtspraak - The July 2024 home-working dispute and its later appellate outcome
- Rijksoverheid - Occupational-health duty for home workers
- Rijksoverheid - Employee representation and policy change
