Associate | Attorney at law
Employment & Employee Participation
Sietske specialises in employment law, advising both large employers and employees on a range of matters such as dismissal (including summary dismissal), reorganisations, unacceptable behaviour in the workplace, incapacity for work and other HR-related issues. This means she can easily approach legal disputes from the perspective of both employer and employee, and keep sight of both parties’ interests. Sietske regularly provides training courses and webinars on current topics in employment law to HR professionals.
Sietske is an empathic, approachable attorney who likes to take a practical view of her cases. With her client’s interests at heart, she seeks out creative and surprising solutions with the aim of achieving the optimal result for her client, rather than the maximum.
Sietske obtained both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Leiden University. She successfully completed her Master’s in Employment Law in 2021, graduating with her thesis on the topic of employer liability in the context of employee burnout.
During her studies, Sietske worked as an external court clerk at the District Court of The Hague. She also volunteered at De Leidse Rechtwinkel, where she provided free legal advice in the area of employment law to Leiden residents with limited financial means. Sietske also undertook internships at a number of law firms, including De Clercq. She has been associated with De Clercq since 2021.
In the area of employment law, Sietske mainly works on HR-related matters such as dismissal (including summary dismissal), unacceptable behaviour in the workplace, reorganisations, and incapacity for work. Her approach is aimed at finding practical solutions that will help her client move forward, and this quality makes her an excellent sounding board for HR consultants.
Summary dismissal
Providing advice and guidance to employers in handling and settling summary dismissals, and in the associated litigation.
Guidance in reintegration processes
Guiding employers in the reintegration process, on the one hand to ensure that they satisfy all of the obligations under the Eligibility for Permanent Incapacity Benefit (Restrictions) Act (Wet Verbetering Poortwachter) and avoid wage sanctions, and on the other to enable employees to return to work as soon as possible.
Unacceptable behaviour in the workplace
Advising employers on how to prevent unacceptable behaviour in the workplace, and which steps need to be taken in the event that an employee reports (anonymously or otherwise) unacceptable behaviour in the workplace to their employer.
Reorganisation
Guiding employers through the entire reorganisation process, including drafting the request for advice for the works council.
Employment, Employee Participation & Mediation
18 November 2025
Additional powers usually work effectively only when they are clearly and formally agreed upon in writing between the Works Council and the management. This helps prevent disputes about what is actually intended and which rights the Works Council truly holds.
Employment, Employee Participation & Mediation
10 November 2025
In the Netherlands, nearly 1.7 million people work in healthcare — and yet there is still a significant staff shortage. These shortages create new challenges for managers and HR professionals. In practice, we see that this sometimes leads to hiring healthcare workers who later turn out not to be well-suited for the role. In this blog series, we discuss various employment law issues that can arise, from the recruitment process to the end of the employment relationship.
Employment, Employee Participation & Mediation
31 October 2025
A reorganization is a significant change in the structure or operations of a company. It is essential for employers to prepare a reorganization with great care, taking into account both the strategic objectives and continuity of the business as well as the interests of the employees.