2022 Annual plan Netherlands Labour Authority
Cross-border cooperation, organising differently with a stronger regional commitment and making the effect of the Labour Authority’s work even more transparent, are three important developments that will be reflected in the year 2022. This is set out in the 2022 Annual Programme of the Netherlands Labour Authority (de Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie).
From 1 January, the Inspectorate SZW will be called the Netherlands Labour Authority (NLA). According to inspector general Rits de Boer, this name shows that the Authority is closely linked to the European Labour Authority (ELA) based in Bratislava since 2021.
Programmes and cooperation
Rits de Boer: “The economic benefits of the European market are evident and the catching up of previous European ‘laggers’ is breathtaking. In an economic sense, the labour market is increasingly European. This affects everything in relation to work, labour rules, working conditions and social security in our country. The need and importance of harmonising supervision - i.e. the ELA - is only expected to increase. Through the ELA, we work together with regulatory bodies in other member states”.
The Labour Authority is on the move, not only in name but also as an organisation. Thanks to the experiences with large numbers of corona reports, the work processes for all reports and requests from citizens and companies are improved. They are organised in a line organisation so that reports and requests are registered, assessed and followed up more effectively and faster by regional teams. Operational management in the regional teams strengthens the connection with our partners, such as the police and municipalities. Thanks to the current expansion of capacity, the Labour Authority can also use programmes to focus nationally on the most important occupational risks, such as exposure to hazardous substances, physical strain, psychosocial workload, employment discrimination, underpayment, illegal employment and exploitation. But also on the lasting influence of working from home and the corona pandemic.
Knowledge and signalling
Inspectors and investigators have a great deal of professional knowledge and encounter dilemmas in the performance of their work that require considerations to be made. Considerations that can be translated into signals about social developments and risks. This reflection contributes to insight and knowledge about working conditions, terms and conditions of employment and socio-economic security. This signalling function is important to provide insight into the effect of the actions of the Labour Authority. In 2022, Rits de Boer wants to “tell society even more actively what our inspectors, investigators and researchers encounter in the course of their supervision”.
For example, the Authority recently published a report on revenue models and labour exploitation. It is working on the Learning from Accidents Monitor, which collects information about accidents and characteristics of the companies where they occur. The Healthy Workplace Status and the Work and Income System Monitor are also scheduled for 2022.
Read the 2022 Annual Plan (in Dutch)
