Netherlands: partial unemployment benefits extended

Partial unemployment is the only special concrete measure taken by The Hague regarding employment to fight the impact of the crisis. No tax or other aids have been given to businesses. This system follows a working time reduction system implemented in the fall of 2008 for businesses facing a 30% drop in sales within two months (see our dispatch No. 081049). Enforced as a matter of urgency, this system, called “werktijdverkorting,” was working until March, for a total amount of €200 million. But when the crisis started to worsen in April, a similar partial unemployment system (deeltijd-WW) was established, with no requirement of dropping sales for businesses.
Enjoy this article for free while you’re in your trial period
You have access to our content for 1 month.

s), the €375 million planned for this year ran out by the end of June (see our dispatch No. 090669). Therefore, the Ministry of Social Affairs unfroze €175 million, and the government updated this system, which should keep applying for several months. The objective was to limit benefits: employers who have sent all their staff to partial unemployment for three months will only be entitled to the system for one additional quarter. This limit is brought to one year for 30-60% of the staff. Finall

Do you have information to share with us?
What you absolutely must read this week
The essential content of the week selected by the editorial team.
See all
Germany: crisis and transformation wage agreement in the chemical sector
Following a two-day marathon negotiation in Bad Breisig (Western Germany), the social partners of the German chemical and pharmaceutical industries—the IG BCE trade union and the BAVC employers'...
27 March 2026
Malta: a draft amendment to better protect against workplace harassment
The news. On 23 February 2026, the Maltese government introduced a draft amendment to the Employment and Industrial Relations Act, seeking to expand the scope of protection against workplace...
Italy: parental leave extended until the child’s 14th birthday
The 2026 Italian Finance Act has extended optional parental leave, which can now be taken until the child is 14 years old, up from 12 previously. This leave has a maximum duration of 10 or 11...
Germany: launch of the “WE-Fair” alliance for binational training of skilled foreign workers
Germany continues to expand and diversify its initiatives to attract skilled foreign labour from outside the EU. In mid-March 2026, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development...
Most viewed articles of the month on mind HR
What readers clicked on the most last month.
What readers clicked on the most last month.
1
Netherlands: new government seeks to “control” social costs
In his government policy statement to Parliament on 25 February, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten announced several measures designed to "control" social costs. Notably, he proposed raising the...
2
Spain: a bill to regulate internships
On 3 March, the Council of Ministers approved the bill on the “Status for persons undergoing non-professional practical training in companies”. The text limits the number of interns a company can...
3
Germany: launch of the “WE-Fair” alliance for binational training of skilled foreign workers
Germany continues to expand and diversify its initiatives to attract skilled foreign labour from outside the EU. In mid-March 2026, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development...
4
EU: co-legislators aim to pivot European Globalisation Adjustment Fund towards restructuring anticipation
On 25 February, the Council of the EU and the Parliament reached an agreement on the Commission’s proposed regulation to expand the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF). Under the...
5
Block to slash workforce by nearly half
The news. In his latest shareholder letter, Jack Dorsey, CEO of payment service provider Block (formerly Square), announced plans to slash the company’s workforce “by nearly half, from...