# Dutch Employees Resist Return to Full-Time Office Work Workers cite productivity and commuting concerns as hybrid models remain the preferred standard. - **Source:** [DutchNews.nl](https://www.dutchnews.nl) - **Published:** 2026-11-09 - **Topic:** [careers](https://brifing.si/c/careers) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/b2f1569b-8480-45aa-a58d-58a9b161c896 ## Shift in Work Habits A survey involving 3,000 workers reveals that over half of Dutch employees struggle with the prospect of returning to full-time office attendance. The integration of professional and personal lives during the pandemic has created a permanent shift in expectations. Consequently, many staff members now view traditional office requirements as a significant disruption. ## Primary Resistance Factors Employees cite three main reasons for avoiding increased office hours: concerns regarding declining productivity, the burden of daily commuting, and potential negative impacts on overall well-being. These factors highlight a disconnect between corporate desires for physical presence and the practical realities of modern home-based workflows that workers have successfully adopted. ## Corporate Policy Landscape Despite efforts by businesses to encourage more office time, none of the 25 largest companies in the Netherlands currently mandate a five-day office week. Employers are instead navigating a complex landscape where flexibility is highly valued by staff, forcing companies to reconsider rigid attendance policies in favor of hybrid models. ## Legal Precedents Emerge Booking.com recently won a legal battle against its works council regarding a mandate requiring staff to spend 40% of their time in the Amsterdam office. While a judge deemed two days of commuting per week as normal, only about 25% of the company's staff currently adhere to that specific attendance frequency. ## Collective Bargaining Trends The prevalence of remote work is reflected in collective bargaining agreements, which have evolved significantly since 2019. Only 14% of these agreements included homeworking arrangements five years ago, whereas that figure rose to 38% last year. This trend underscores a structural change in how labor contracts are negotiated across the Netherlands. ## Employer Perspectives Vary Major employers like Nationale Nederlanden promote a balanced approach, encouraging two days of office attendance to foster cooperation and innovation. Conversely, institutions like Rabobank have opted against setting minimum office-time requirements, citing positive experiences with hybrid working and expressing no desire to enforce strict presenteeism targets for their diverse workforce. ## The Flexibility Argument Professionals like Jelle Kajim, working for the HR firm Remote, emphasize that flexibility is a core component of their professional identity. Having operated without a physical office for a decade, many workers now prioritize the elimination of daily commutes, viewing the traditional office environment as an outdated necessity for their specific roles. ## Future Workplace Outlook The tension between corporate goals for social connection and employee demands for autonomy remains a defining feature of the Dutch labor market. As hybrid models become the standard, companies must balance the benefits of in-person collaboration with the proven productivity gains and personal satisfaction associated with flexible, remote working arrangements. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.dutchnews.nl/2026/11/dutch-home-workers-reluctant-to-spend-more-time-in-the-office/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._