How we believe people should be treated

We believe:

• not every difficult situation automatically equals sickness;
• there is more to life than work alone;
• employers also carry a responsibility towards society;
• and open communication matters more than immediately making everything formal or medical.

Here you can read more about:

• how we look at work and humanity;
• why we believe honesty matters more than systems;
• and why we believe people should treat each other like decent human beings.

And honestly — we understand that.
That is why we want to create space for conversations before situations immediately turn into formal sickness reports.

This can be about:

• stress;
• exams;
• problems at home;
• mental pressure;
• relationship issues;
• lack of sleep;
• financial problems;
• or other personal situations.

Our promise:

WE WILL NEVER JUDGE YOUR SITUATION. IF IT’S KEEPING YOU UP AT NIGHT, WE WILL RESPECT IT

We believe honesty should never be used against someone.
Being honest about a personal situation will never by itself be a reason to end an assignment or working relationship.
Here you can read how we try to create space for human situations before they immediately need to become sickness reports.

In situations like that, we first look — where possible — at whether adjusted or replacement work can offer a solution.

For example:

• mental overload;
• stress;
• physical complaints;
• tension connected to a specific workplace;
• or temporary overstimulation.

We believe temporary adjustments can sometimes help more than complete absence.
Here you can read how we handle replacement work and temporary adjustments.

Here you can read:

• how to report sick;
• when you need to be reachable;
• how recovery reporting works;
• and what you can expect from us during sickness.

Wij volgen hierbij:

• the ABU collective labour agreement;
• applicable legislation;
• and normal sickness absence rules.

That is why, during sickness, we look at:

• the actual work pattern someone has built up;
• the working pattern during the previous 13 weeks;
• and the reasonably expected working capacity at the moment someone reports sick.

Here we explain:

• how sickness hours are calculated;
• how waiting days work;
• and how we determine working capacity within flexible work.

That is why we judge people based on:

• how they work;
  and what they can contribute.

Not based on:

• background;
• gender;
• sexual orientation;
• religion;
• age;
• appearance;
• or any other personal characteristic unrelated to the job.

We believe good cooperation happens when people treat each other with respect and when everyone feels safe to be themselves.

Here you can read:

how we deal with discrimination;
what we consider discriminatory requests;
how we expect employees to handle these situations;
and what you can do if you experience or notice discrimination.