NederlandsThe Balanced Labor Market Act (WAB) came into effect on 1 January 2020 with the aim of reducing the gap between permanent and flexible working. But what does that mean in practice for your organization? What has changed and what are you encountering? Actief Werkt! addresses the most important question from its customers: how do you as an organization maintain your flexibility after the arrival of the WAB?
In an uproar
When in May 2019 the Senate approved the introduction of the WAB as of 1 January 2020, this caused an uproar for the employer Nederland . Employers are obliged to offer employees more security more quickly. But what to do if your organization operates in a highly fluctuating market? Entrepreneurs in seasonal branches such as catering and recreation, agriculture and horticulture, logistics and wholesale and retail are concerned about absorbing peaks and troughs. But companies with a relatively stable workload also experience peaks and troughs as a result of illness, holidays and the like. How do you deal with this as an organization in the WAB era?
Permanent work more attractive
The introduction of the WAB is for a reason: the government wants to curb employers' flight to cheap and unnecessarily flexible labor by making permanent work more attractive to employers and by offering flex workers more security. And that is a valuable asset. Recent research by the ABU, the sector organization that represents the majority of temporary employment agencies, showed that no less than 57% of temporary workers choose temporary work as a step towards permanent work (see ABU fact sheet “The value of temporary agency work”, December 2019). . Income security is one of the most important needs among (flexible) employees and job seekers. The new WAB legislation meets this need.
Quite logical actually: the first year is a trial period in which the client and flexworker get to know each other, mutual knowledge and experience is built up and greater flexibility is possible for both. This can be in the form of a side job, temporary job or a combination of jobs, but also with fixed days or hours. After a year, you as a client and employee know what you can do with each other and a step towards greater certainty, especially in a persistently tight labor market, may even be desirable. Our experience shows that offering security has a positive effect on the motivation, productivity and absenteeism of (flexible) employees. By optimally combining the wishes and possibilities of clients and flex workers, Actief Werkt! unites flexibility with certainty. In all these phases, the temporary employment agency continues to play an important role for the client, jobseeker and flexworker: as a recruitment channel, employer, planner, absenteeism coach, trainer and sparring partner.
No end to flexibility
So the arrival of the WAB does not mean - as many people think! - that all flexibility in terms of staffing has come to an end. Een flexible personnel layer remains possible, but requires closer cooperation with shorter communication lines between client, flexworker and flex supplier. Actief Werkt! with all customers, but also with our flex workers in the autumn of 2019, about the wishes and possibilities as of 01-01-2020. We have jointly opted for a tailor-made approach that best suits that specific organization or flexworker and we continue to discuss this with each other.
Do you have a specific question or are you curious about what Actief Werkt! can do for your company? Please do not hesitate to contact us, we are happy to think along with you!