Netherlands moves to make work-from-home a legal right

Legislation was approved by Dutch Parliament but still needs nod from Senate before its final adoption

The Dutch law forces employers to consider employee requests to work from home as long as their professions allow it. Getty Images

The Dutch Parliament approved legislation to establish work-from-home as a legal right, making the Netherlands one of the first countries to grant remote working flexibility by law.

The legislation was approved by the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of the Netherlands on Tuesday. It still needs a nod from the Dutch Senate before its final adoption.

The law forces employers to consider employee requests to work from home as long as their professions allow it.

The Covid-19 pandemic has fuelled a shift in attitudes about work, with many workers seeking to maintain some of the flexibility they’ve experienced over the past two years.

But with companies seeking to respond to surging demand as the pandemic recedes, the topic has become an increasingly polarising issue.

Last month, Tesla chief executive Elon Musk issued an ultimatum for staff at the company to return to the office — or leave.