Renée Huijsmans-Zwijnenburg
Renée Huijsmans-Zwijnenburg
Partner & Attorney at law
Employment & Employee Participation
The labour market is subject to rapid developments that make it challenging to attract and retain good people. As an employer, how can you ensure that you stay ahead of the field? Good employment conditions, effective employment participation and a safe working environment will provide you with a solid foundation! We specialise in Employment and Employment Participation, and will be happy to assist you with these challenging matters. Numerous enterprises, employers, HR professionals and employees have come to us for advice and guidance. Much of our work for a long time has involved preventing and resolving disputes and problems, and we have done so with a great deal of enjoyment and satisfaction.
Employment concerns people and organisations, how they relate to one another, and how they respond to the rapid developments they experience. The scope of employment law is far greater than work alone. Read more
Effective employment participation is a key factor in the optimal performance of every organisation. It ensures improved results and reduced risks. We use our passion for employment participation to help arrive at mutually supported decisions that serve the interests of both the organisation and its employees. Read more
Mediation is an excellent tool for arriving at an effective solution by mutual consultation. The mediator guides the parties involved in finding a sustainable solution that they propose themselves. It is fast, efficient, and less costly. Read more
Facilitating a merger between part of a Dutch service provider in the travel sector and a similar sister company in Germany
This involved providing the Dutch director with advice on the employment law aspects of the merger and documenting these, in cooperation with other aspects.
Establishing the employment participation structure for an IT group
Together with the management and employment participation bodies, we advised on an employment participation structure that would align with the restructured group.
Mediation in the event of disrupted cooperation and labour relations
We provide mediation in team situations, whether between employee and supervisor, between colleagues, or within the Management Team. As an MfN (Netherlands Federation of Mediators) Register mediator, we guide the mediation to seek a sustainable solution that prevents further breakdown or escalation. The goal is to achieve a win-win solution that is supported by all parties involved.
2026
2026
2026
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2026
Employment, Employee Participation & Mediation
12 October 2026
The Enterprise Chamber of the Amsterdam Court of Appeal (the “Enterprise Chamber”) delivered its ruling on 28 April 2026 in a case brought by the Temporary Works Council (the “TOR”) of the Identification and Screening of Asylum Seekers Service (Dienst Identificatie en Screening Asielzoekers, “DISA”) (ECLI:NL:GHAMS:2026:1105). The Enterprise Chamber ruled that the TOR had no right to be consulted on the decision to treat the reorganisations at DISA and the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) as separate processes, without transferring personnel between them. According to the Enterprise Chamber, the decision concerned the allocation of public-law responsibilities between government services and therefore fell within the scope of the political primacy principle set out in Article 46d of the Dutch Works Councils Act (Wet op de ondernemingsraden, or WOR). Notably, however, the Enterprise Chamber described the decision-making process as “highly careless”. This finding did not lead to a different legal conclusion.
Employment, Employee Participation & Mediation
8 October 2026
The government aims to provide greater certainty and clarity for self-employed professionals and their clients. To that end, on 1 October 2026, it submitted the draft Self-Employment Act (Zelfstandigenwet) for public consultation. The proposed Act seeks to answer a fundamental question: when can businesses engage self-employed professionals, and when can individuals work as self-employed professionals, with certainty that the relationship does not constitute employment? By establishing clear rules in advance, the government aims to create a safe harbour for those who meet and comply with these requirements. What exactly does the proposed Self-Employment Act entail, and what does it mean for businesses engaging self-employed professionals?
Employment, Employee Participation & Mediation
6 October 2026
Anyone who has followed the media recently will have noticed the same debate recurring: should employees be required to come into the office more often? The term “camel hunting” regularly comes up in this context. Employers are seeking to avoid a working week with two distinct “humps”, characterised by busy Tuesdays and Thursdays and near-empty offices on the other days.
