Dutch House approves to make work from home a legal right

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 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 pandemic has fueled a shift in attitudes about work, with many workers seeking to maintain some of the flexibility they’ve experienced over the last two years. (Bloomberg file photo)

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 pandemic has fueled a shift in attitudes about work, with many workers seeking to maintain some of the flexibility they’ve experienced over the last two years. But with companies seeking to respond to surging demand as the pandemic recedes, the topic has become increasingly polarizing issue.

Last month, Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk issued an ultimatum for staff at the company to return to the office -- or leave.