Booking.com and its works council are going to court over the company's requirement that staff spend more days in the office, according to Dutch media reports. De Telegraaf, NU, Het Financieele Dagblad and RTL.nl all reported on the case, which centres on how much say an employer has in where employees do their work.
De Telegraaf reports that employers across the Netherlands are following the proceedings closely. The newspaper quotes the view that a ruling in the case could serve as a step toward more compulsory office days elsewhere.
The dispute pits the travel company against its own works council, the body that represents employee interests under Dutch law. The reports do not set out the specific number of office days at issue or the legal arguments each side will make.
The case lands in a Dutch labour market where remote and hybrid arrangements became widespread, and where the balance between employer instructions and employee preferences is still being tested. According to De Telegraaf, the outcome is being watched by other companies weighing similar policies.
NPO Radio 1's Stand.nl programme also took up the topic, framing the question as whether it is reasonable for employers to set limits on working from home.
What to watch next: the court's ruling, and whether other Dutch employers adjust their own office attendance policies in response.
