The cabinet has announced large-scale measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, which have a major impact on society. Everything changes, from our home situation to schools and work. Working during this crisis therefore takes some getting used to. What should you pay attention to? What is possible and what is not possible in these times? And what can your employer actually ask of you? You read it here.
The cabinet and RIVM have advised everyone in the Netherlands - including you and your employer - to work from home as much as possible until Wednesday 20 May. Do you have one or more mild health complaints, or does your housemate have a fever or shortness of breath? Then you have to stay at home. Mild health complaints are:
- to sneeze
- sore throat
- running nose
- light cough
- increase to 38 degrees
Do you work in a vital infrastructure? Then it is important that you keep working, provided you have no complaints such as a cold, sore throat, cough, in combination with an increase to 38 degrees. With these complaints, your employer may not oblige you to come to work anyway. Are you unsure about your complaints? Then consult your employer.
Hygiene regulations
Are you going out the door and into the office? Then take measures to prevent the virus from spreading.
- Wash your hands regularly with soap and water and dry your hands with a paper towel.
- Cough and sneeze in the inside of your elbow.
- When coughing or sneezing, use tissue paper and throw it away immediately.
- Do not shake hands.
- Keep a distance of at least 1,5 meters between you and others.
Safe workplace
Your employer is obliged to provide a safe and healthy workplace. He must identify risks and take measures to exclude or reduce them. This does not mean that he should make everyone work from home. He must pay extra attention to safety and hygiene regulations and measures.
Wages, holidays and working hours
In principle, you will continue to be paid, even if there is less work to be done, working from home or if you are sick. Your employer cannot oblige you to take vacation days. He can, however, adjust your working hours; this way your employer can ensure that not too many people work at the same time, and that you do not have to travel during rush hour.
To prevent your employer from getting into financial problems and possibly having to fire employees because of the corona virus, the cabinet has created a new regulation: the Temporary Emergency Bridging Measure for Retention of Work (NOW). This scheme replaces the reduction of working hours scheme.
More information
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