Dutch internet provider KPN has become the first large company in the Netherlands to scrap offering a set number of vacation days a year, instead allowing staff to choose to take as much holiday as they want. Trade unions are not completely sold on the idea, as there are concerns that not all employees will benefit equally.
In a collective bargaining agreement, the Dutch internet provider stated that from January 2025, they will no longer register the number of leave days staff take for holidays. “Our employees are allowed to decide for themselves how they use their vacation leave,” Bart Webers of KPN told the Financieele Dagblad. The company wants greater autonomy for workers and to give them the space to improve work-life balance. “Keeping track of whether you still have enough vacation days on your counter does not fit with that.”
Employees still need to get pre-approval from their managers for any holiday leave. Smaller Dutch companies like Tony’s Chocolonely and SnappCar have also given their staff unlimited vacation leave. In the Netherlands, workers are entitled to a minimum of 20 days of paid leave, while most companies usually offer between 24 and 32 days.
Trade unions involved in the collective bargaining agreement have concerns about adding unlimited vacation days, stating that not all workers will be able to make the most of it. During a trial conducted by KPN, senior and management staff were satisfied, but employees who work with rosters, such as technical staff and call centre workers, felt pressured to take less leave.
Webers admits that this is a flaw of the new arrangement as it is easier to implement among management than for shift workers. “We will need to do our best as an employer to make it work for technical staff or those who work in customer services,” he said.
Trade union CNV will keep an eye on the situation at KPN. “You are giving up an employment right, and we need to see how it works out,” said a spokesperson. “The failure or success will depend on good communication and trust. And if it does not work across the entire company, we will have it reversed.”
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