Renée Huijsmans-Zwijnenburg

Renée Huijsmans-Zwijnenburg

Partner & Attorney at law

Employment & Employee Participation

Renée Huijsmans-Zwijnenburg is, as a client once described, straightforward and to the point. This makes her a great fit for De Clercq. In her daily practice, Renée assists executives, legal counsels, and HR with various employment law issues, including individual and collective dismissals, reorganisations, employment conditions, and incapacity for work. Within employment law, she has specialised in cases involving integrity or undesirable behaviour. Social safety is high on her agenda.

"Integrity and addressing undesirable behaviour are fundamental to a safe workplace where everyone feels respected and valued. In my work, I not only look at the legal frameworks but also at the impact on company culture and the practical applicability of measures. Together with entrepreneurs and HR professionals, I seek solutions that truly work and contribute to a culture of trust. And if necessary, I am ready with concrete legal steps to ensure that transgressive behaviour is addressed and integrity is safeguarded."

Education

Renée studied Law at Maastricht University, where she chose Civil Law as her major. In the years that followed, Renée specialised in employment law. She successfully completed the Grotius specialisation course in Employment Law at Radboud University Nijmegen in 2015.

Career

Since 2009, Renée has worked as a lawyer and legal advisor. In 2015, she joined the De Clercq team with considerable practical experience. Within employment law, Renée has specialised in various subfields, such as reorganisations, individual and collective dismissals, and social safety. Additionally, Renée is a supervisor (HR portfolio) at the Stichting Openbaar Primair Onderwijs Oegstgeest and contributes as a board member of the Stichting Vrienden van het Zaans Medisch Centrum to a healthy Zaanstreek.

Daily practice

Within the Labour, Participation & Mediation section, Renée mainly focuses on individual and collective dismissal law. She can also provide excellent advice on matters related to employment contracts, employment conditions, incapacity for work, underperformance, and the employment law aspects of reorganisations. Her passion lies in issues related to social safety. Renée is eager to share her knowledge through publications, training sessions, or workshops. She is regularly invited as a speaker at conferences.

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The latest developments

Employment, Employee Participation & Mediation

Carelessness Does Not Constitute Grounds for a Right to Be Consulted

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.

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Employment, Employee Participation & Mediation

The Self-Employment Act: When Does It Provide Legal Certainty?

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?

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Employment, Employee Participation & Mediation

A Camel Hunt at the Office? Don’t Forget the Works Council!

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.

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