Do I have the right to work from home in the Netherlands?

The short answer

You can always submit a request to work from home, but your employer doesn't have to automatically grant it. Since 1 July 2022, under Dutch law, your employer must have a good reason to reject your request. This reason must be objective and business-related, such as company interests or the nature of your work. If your employer refuses without good reason, you can challenge this. The right applies to all employees in the Netherlands, regardless of how long you've been employed.

What does Dutch law say?

The Flexible Working Act (Wet flexibel werken) has regulated the right to work from home in the Netherlands since July 2022. This Dutch law gives employees the right to request flexible working, including working from home. Your employer must respond to your request within two months. If the employer refuses, this must be done in writing with clear justification. The law also protects against discrimination because of your remote work request.

What should you watch out for?

Make sure your request is concrete and realistic. Think about how working from home works practically in your role. Your employer may refuse if remote work doesn't suit your tasks or harms business operations. Safety and health reasons can also be valid grounds for rejection under Dutch law.

Example from practice

Sanne works as a marketing employee and requests to work from home three days per week. Her employer initially refuses because 'it doesn't fit with the company culture'. This is not a valid reason under Dutch law. After discussion, the employer eventually agrees to two days of remote work per week. The key was that Sanne could demonstrate that her work could be done perfectly from home and that she remained available for important meetings.

What can you do?

Follow these steps to handle your remote work request properly: