Adapting rules to ease implementation of participation act

The implementation of the participation Act has been adjusted in certain parts. State Secretary Jetta Klijnsma of Social Affairs and Employment reached an agreement with the Association of Dutch Municipalities, social partners, and the UWV.

Former students who come from secondary special education without review by the UWV are to be admitted directly to the target group for new jobs that will become available for people with an occupational disability. There will also be a simpler design of salary valuation in the workplace, especially where employers and municipalities have urged. These measures make it easier for people who do not earn the minimum wage to be placed on salary valuation because of a limit on extra jobs.

Employers and communities have the opportunity to charge for the first six months of employment a predetermined wage subsidy of 50 percent of the minimum wage for workers in the jobs target appointment. After that first half year, wage value in the workplace is determined and the wage is adjusted accordingly. Municipalities also have the freedom to deviate from the regular opportunities to redefine one's salary value.

The letter on the agreements which Secretary Jetta Klijnsma sent to parliament shows that previous measures to simplify the work processes for the appointment of jobs since July 2015, have had a visible effect. The number of UWV requested reviews have increased sharply for the target register since July. In total, the number of applications since the end of October is 4,421, around hallf of which are handled bythe UWV. In 58 percent of these cases, the application also led to inclusion in the target register. This is similar to the percentage of allocated WAJONG reviews, approximately 60 percent.

In the so-called Social Agreement, it is stipulated that employers use the next couple of years to create additional workplaces for people with an occupational disability within their respective organisations. However, there are signs that this agreement will not reach the people for whom this job deal is meant. This is because the criteria outside of the target group is too strict, and thus will not end up in these places. This has reached the attention of Klijnsma, who emphasises this to all other stakeholders.

This means additional information in future assessments will be required. Pilot projects of municipalities with the UWV will test the waters.
"In the spring of 2016, together we will see whether this information leads to changes in the assessment and whether the salary valuation in the workplace can play a role in upholding the target register," Secretary Klijnsma states in an explanation of the letter.

For the implementation of the proposed measures, changing the laws and regulations is necessary. Proposals to this end will be made by Klijnsma in the first half of 2016, for submission to the House of Representatives. "Meanwhile, we continue to pick up signals. Though we do not yet know the practical experience, we will continue to perfect the tools for the implementation of the law. "