Growing group of Dutch employers dissatisfied with work-from-home

A growing group of Dutch employers is dissatisfied with the current work-from-home policy, according to an annual survey by the employers' organization AWVN. Employers complain about a lack of social cohesion and efficiency. Some say work-from-home employees are harder to reach, Trouw reports.

The AWVN surveyed approximately 355 employers for this year’s survey. Nearly 40 percent said they plan to or have already adjusted their work-from-home policy. 59 percent of them reduced the number of days people can work from home, and 44 percent introduced mandatory office days, or plan to do so. Only 3 percent want to encourage working from home further.

The employers’ organization found that a growing group of employers are dissatisfied with work-from-home, 27 percent this year compared to 22 percent last year. According to the AWVN, this isn’t because they don’t trust their employees to work when they’re at home. “They’re concerned about the loss of their corporate culture and social cohesion,” AWVN spokesperson Jannes van der Velde told Trouw.

According to the AWVN, some employers complain that work-from-home has made onboarding new employees more difficult and worry that their employees don’t feel connected to each other or the company. Another common complaint is a loss of efficiency and collaboration.

Many employers implemented work-from-home policies in recent years, partly to be competitive in a tight labor market, the AWVN said. The organization doesn’t expect that employers will scrap these policies and demand a full-time return to the office. But employees can expect to be held more accountable for violating working-from-home agreements, the AWVN thinks. "It's even possible that failure to comply with these agreements will be included in your annual performance review," said spokesperson Van de Velde.