The second tranche of the Dutch Work and Security Act (Wet werk en zekerheid, or WWZ) came into force on 1 July 2015. The WWZ reflects the government objectives of adapting employment law in light of changes in society and ending the current dichotomy between people with a permanent job and people with a temporary contract. As a result of this new dismissal law, employers should be less reluctant to take on new employees.
In time, if the Public Servants (Standardisation of Legal Status) Bill pending before the Upper House of the Dutch parliament actually becomes law, the WWZ will also apply to public servants. This will put an end to the special status of public servants, and from that point onwards most groups of public servants will be subject to the WWZ. We are expecting many questions about this pending legislation. Our team, which includes specialists in both employment law and public service law, would be pleased to advise you on the legal aspects of the new dismissal law.
