On 13 November, around 20 major employers in e-commerce signed agreements on good employer practices. With these agreements, these employers want to show that their sector is about more than just technology, data, sales figures, logistics, and international competition.
Why appointments?
Employees are becoming increasingly important to the e-commerce sector, as they are ultimately the ones who have to carry out the work. The sector is growing every year, and the thinking is that this should go hand in hand with the development of good employment practices. The agreements were reached, amongst other things, with the help of negotiator Inge de Vries from De Unie.
Is e-commerce still growing?
E-commerce is a continually growing sector in the Dutch economy. More than 50,000 employees now work in this branch of industry.
What is good employer practice, really?
Good employer practices encompass a wide range of issues. The following aspects will receive more attention from employers in the coming years:
- Continuous learning and innovation for employees. Employers who adhere to the code of conduct aim to continuously develop their employees as a basis for sustainable employability and innovation. They structurally allocate time and resources for personal development and job-specific training. Furthermore, they commit to active collaboration with educational institutions, focusing on offering internships, apprenticeships, and refining relevant training curricula..
- Working Safely and Vitally. Employers who follow the code ensure mandatory induction programmes, periodic training, suitable resources for safe working, and an open working culture in which employees feel able to speak up.
- Good employer practices, implemented in collaboration with supply chain partners. Even as a client, companies take responsibility for good employer practices throughout the entire chain. For example, by ensuring safe working conditions for everyone in the chain, regardless of contract type. When choosing partners, we explicitly consider good employer practices as a selection criterion. Clear agreements are made with partners regarding compliance with standards, transparency in the chain is encouraged, and local talent is actively supported.
- A diverse and inclusive workplace. Companies that endorse this code of conduct are actively committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive work culture. There is conscious attention to inclusion and diversity at every stage of employment, from recruitment to collaboration and policy. There is also an open attitude towards feedback from employees and active policies to support underrepresented groups.
The agreements will be reviewed and evaluated by employers every six months over the coming years. This way, initiators expect good employers to actually implement and maintain this practice.
Who signed the agreements?
The signatories to the agreements are well-known names in the sector. These include Bol.com, Amazon, Picnic, DHL, Wehkamp, DPD, CR’SP, etc. In total, around 20 employers have signed the agreements. Thuiswinkel.org, Inretail and E-commerce Nederland, as the initiators of these agreements, expect many employers in the sector to follow suit. The De Unie trade union will be involved in evaluating the agreements over the coming years.
