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Caroline Mehlem

Caroline Mehlem

Senior Associate | Attorney at law

Employment & Employee Participation

Caroline has considerable experience in guiding medium-sized to large national and international enterprises in every aspect of employment law, from individual dismissals and legal scans to complex reorganisations and company acquisitions. She also assists many educational institutions ranging from school districts to universities. In addition to ‘regular’ employment law, she also has a special interest in cross-border employment and education law.

Caroline is a highly motivated attorney who takes a solution-oriented approach underpinned by her strong interpersonal and decisive qualities. Her commitment, expertise and clarity inspire trust among her clients and colleagues. Caroline is French in origin and also has German, Spanish and English roots, making her multilingual – something which is of great practical benefit.

Education

Caroline studied Dutch law at Leiden University, majoring in International Law.

Career

Caroline has worked at De Clercq as an attorney since 2003, with a broad focus on employment law. She puts her multilingual background and international interest to good use in advising numerous international clients. She specialises in Education Law and Employment Law from a European perspective, and has completed mediation training, which also serves her practice well. As well as being an attorney, Caroline is a board member with the Technolab Leiden Foundation.

Caroline’s daily practice

On an almost daily basis, Caroline deals with matters such as individual dismissals, reorganisations, working remotely from abroad, expatriates, unacceptable behaviour and the investigation of this, and disability in the workplace. She also provides advice to companies at the policy level. Caroline acts as in-house counsel for a variety of companies, and values the opportunity to get to know her clients well. This often leads to fruitful collaborations that last for many years. The same applies to the educational institutions with which Caroline has long-term involvements with respect to employment law matters.

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The latest developments

Employment, Employee Participation & Mediation

Modern Employment Conditions: (4) Changing Employment Conditions

30 April 2025

The work environment has changed significantly in recent years. Technological advancements, a new generation of employees, and the desire of workers to pay more attention to work-life balance are forcing employers to review their policies and employment conditions. It is important to respond to these changes, as modern employment conditions are increasingly becoming a determining factor for talent retention, attracting new employees, productivity, and overall employee engagement. What modern employment conditions can you think of? You can read more about this in this blog series.

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Employment, Employee Participation & Mediation

Appealing to the return guarantee in the social plan? Not a foregone conclusion!

29 April 2025

Suppose: you part ways with your employer during a reorganization with a settlement agreement. The social plan, which applies to your settlement agreement, states that you can be re-employed within 26 weeks if a suitable vacancy arises. But what if that vacancy is filled internally? Do you still have the right to return? In a recent ruling, the court of appeal considered such a situation. The employee claimed that the employer had violated their return guarantee. The subdistrict court agreed with the employee, but the court of appeal thought otherwise. In this blog, I explain what the court of appeal ruled and why it is relevant for HR and employers. 

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Employment, Employee Participation & Mediation

75 years of WOR Congress

7 April 2025

In May 2025, we celebrate a special milestone: it will be 75 years since the Works Councils Act (WOR) was introduced. On 14 May 2025, a festive congress will be held; a day filled with celebratory activities, leading speakers, and interactive workshops on current topics.

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