The shift to remote work during the pandemic has normalized the work-from-home (WFH) culture for an increasing number of companies. But while some firms have individually expanded their WFH policies, no country has solidified it as a legal right. That is, until now. The Netherlands has just become the first country to grant the option to work remotely by law.
The legislation was approved by the lower house of the Dutch bicameral parliament on the 5th of July. It still needs to be approved by the Dutch senate before it can fully establish WFH as a legal right. The bill essentially requires employers to consider workers’ requests to work from home as long as it is possible given their professions.
Many people have greatly enjoyed the flexibility of working from home during the pandemic. After lockdowns were lifted, employers started seeing a surge in requests from employees wanting to maintain some of that flexibility.
