Sun, 03 May 2026 10:20:11 +0200 Sun, 03 May 2026 10:20:11 +0200 ContentFeeder 2.0 Each year, about 1.2 million people experience workplace harassment, such as bullying, discrimination and (sexual) harassment by colleagues or supervisors.
Employees, who have been victimized, report in sick more often than an average of seven days per year. Besides the personal suffering for those involved, it will cost employers loads of money. TNO research institute calculated that it costs employers about 1.7 billion euros per year.

Unwanted behaviour is sometimes visible, but often involves subtle remarks or behaviour that is offensive. Awareness was raised in the campaign through posters and radio of situations such as the exclusion of colleagues, unwanted massages and...]]> Tue, 30 Aug 2022 09:22:43 +0200
As consumers become more ethically conscious of the companies they choose to patronise, companies need to maintain a cleaner image and to demonstrate their commitment to ethical business practices. Furthermore, companies currently try to incorporate good citizenship into their business culture through various contributions to society. However, it is natural that consumers may be sceptical of these companies’ motives, since companies in the private sector typically aim to maximise profits and keep investors happy.

Being at the forefront of modern business practices, Google has set their own trend in social responsibility with the introduction of Google Green; a programme that...]]> Fri, 02 Feb 2018 05:58:44 +0100
Dealing with an over-friendly boss is not easy. As much as we like having friends at work, a manager who wants to be your friend comes across as trying too hard to be liked instead of respected.

The inappropriate buddy is the boss who is too friendly, and not in the team-building sort of way. He is constantly inviting you to hang out outside of work and engages in unnecessary office gossip. He uses his influence to make friends at the expense of his work. He chooses favorites and creates divisions among employees, who become frustrated by the imbalance in...]]> Fri, 12 Jan 2018 22:44:35 +0100
Favouring an employee above others is a common occurrence in the workplace; it can start out innocently when a boss sees potential in an employee, giving them opportunities to reflect their talent, but this can easily turn into favouritism when that employee is given preferential treatment based on no other criteria. Many companies aim to avoid the controversial issue of favouritism in order to maintain a level merit-based playing field, where all employees are treated fairly and are given access to the same opportunities based on their individual performance.

Playing favourites in the workplace is typically defined as misconduct due...]]> Mon, 01 Jan 2018 12:34:24 +0100
Nepotism is a form of favoritism. It derives from the Italian word for nephew “nipote” and thus, nepotism means showing favor to family members. In a work situation, family members may be hired, promoted, or otherwise unfairly favored over other candidates, not because of their abilities and experience, but simply because they are part of the family. Whenever it takes place in the workplace, it usually leads to a number of negative results, such as decreased employee morale, resentment, increased employee turnover, stunted growth and legal issues.

Finding yourself on the non-receiving end can be tough, especially when you think...]]> Fri, 06 Oct 2017 11:36:15 +0200

First impressions are really important. When I started my first job, I was nervous because I felt that the first impression people would have of me may turn into long-term perceptions and opinions. I wanted them to have the ‘right’ impression.

My first task was to help in recruiting participants for a social research project. I learned how to organize my time in a fast and efficient way, so I could talk to as many people as possible within a short period of time. The experience made me more familiar and confident with learning new skills, being punctual and dressing...]]> Thu, 24 Aug 2017 13:31:57 +0200
Professional working relationships, just like all other forms of relationships, are not always perfect. Though most of us try our best to get along with our colleagues, there will sometimes be miscommunications, misunderstandings, and even personality clashes. Depending on the parties involved, this can occasionally lead to a situation in which you discover that one of your colleagues has been bad-mouthing you.

Picture this: You and Jim get along well. Your interactions are always pleasant and there have never been any issues between you. Then one day you are talking to another colleague, Sally, who informs you that Jim has...]]> Thu, 10 Aug 2017 12:54:06 +0200
Being ranked 1st in the world for work-life balance by the OECD, the Netherlands has not only earned its reputation as a country with a relaxed work ethic, but also as a happier country overall. This high quality of life is attributed to well-defined working hours that rarely exceed 40 hours a week and strong worker’s rights. Of course, this attitude to work is also inherent of Dutch culture, where workers would typically prefer a balanced work life to spare time for family and personal matters, rather than earning excessive amounts of money; this is further proven by the number...]]> Tue, 04 Jul 2017 15:38:29 +0200
Last year, about 1.2 million people experienced workplace harassment, such as bullying, discrimination and (sexual) harassment by colleagues or supervisors.This has to come to an end according to minister of Social Affairs and Employment Lodewijk Asscher.
Employees, who have been victimized, report in sick more often than an average of seven days per year. Besides the personal suffering for those involved, it will cost employers loads of money. TNO research institute calculated that it costs employers about 1.7 billion euros per year.
Therefore, at a conference on this issue in The Hague, Asscher started the campaign "Moet tochkunnen", meaning something...]]> Mon, 20 Jun 2016 11:32:24 +0200 Working with an employee or employer who asks you to break the rules at work can lead to numerous conflicts and ethical dilemmas in the workplace, but what steps can be taken to deal with such indecent proposals? Proposals can range from keeping quiet about misplaced petty cash to falsifying patient records in a hospital; in either case it is a daunting challenge many employees could face during their career and it is easy to see why anyone could be persuaded to go along with an indecent proposal: “I need to make a first impression on my boss”; “I can’t...]]> Tue, 09 May 2017 11:00:30 +0200 All jobs are demanding, and in certain careers overtime is becoming more and more commonplace. It is fair for employers to ask their employees to work hard, but sometimes bosses go too far by placing too much pressure on their employees. The negative effects of overly demanding bosses have been widely researched. For instance, one study found that 77% of employees experienced physical symptoms of stress as a result of poor relationships with their bosses. The wider health effect of consistent overtime, which includes mental health problems, has also been documented.

Getting the work-life balance right is important for many...]]> Mon, 10 Apr 2017 10:42:52 +0200 There are a few jobs that are truly solitary, while the majority involve teams. Certain professions are more team orientated than other jobs. Teachers usually teach their own classes, but all the teachers form a team together. Although being in a team does not mean it automatically operates as one. After all, a team is formed by individuals who have their own ideas and opinions that maynot always agree with one another. Yet, in order not to derail as a team, it is crucial for the individuals to get along to a certain degree.

There are many ways to improve...]]> Fri, 07 Apr 2017 08:21:34 +0200 So many hours a week are spent at the workplace that it practically becomes a second home. We get close to and gossip with work friends, save personal documents on work computers, and leave personal items lying around on our desks. We become so comfortable with our second home that it sometimes leads to forgetting that some of this information is not appropriate for the work place. Employees have become so lax about personal conversations they had in hallways and cubicles thatabout 53% of support staff workers in the U.S. have reported overhearing confidential conversations.

Sometimes this information is revealed...]]> Mon, 06 Mar 2017 09:55:52 +0100 Applying to a new job, polishing your CV, tailoring your cover letter to make the right impression in order to be selected for an interview… landing a new job is not an easy task. And after the first interview, often a second and sometimes a third follows. But during the last interview, the working conditions are usually discussed.

Primary Terms of Employment

The Netherlands distinguishestwo main differentworking conditions: primary and secondary terms of employment primaireensecundairearbeidsvoowaarden. Under primaireare the standard working conditions that apply to all jobs: wages, holidays, holiday pay, and working hours. It is not always possible to negotiate...]]> Wed, 01 Mar 2017 11:39:37 +0100 Toxic individuals come in various shapes and forms: manipulators, drama magnets, notorious liars, gossip-makers and many more. The easiest solution would be to avoid them, but what do you do if you are forced to coexist with them in a workplace? Here are a couple of tips to equip you against all that negativity.

Be Smart

Toxic people tend to provoke all sorts of emotional reactions. They can make you feel belittled, depressed, infuriated and angry to the point where you are willing to throw your career away just to get as far from them as possible. You can bear...]]> Mon, 06 Feb 2017 21:17:20 +0100 Gossip in the office is inevitable. In fact asperthe Harvard Business Review, 90% of all conversationperiodsare considered gossip. Most gossip is harmless, and is a means of communication that allows a way for two strangers to feel closer to each other. Some gossip can be harmful though, not only to other people but also to an entire organization.

An organization I previously worked for decided to change the compensation plan for sales reps to increase sales in a specific area of the business. Rumors of this change and what the new structure of compensation would be flew around the office,...]]> Sun, 05 Feb 2017 21:47:36 +0100 It is inevitable, we all catch a cold once in a while, which sometimes progresses into a flu, restricting the patient to the bed for a couple of days (or weeks). It is inconvenient and it can feel like the end of the wold, but often, after a couple of days, life and work continue as usual.

But what happens when you have the misfortune of falling ill?

Calling in Sick

First, it is important to call in sick. In general, this will be to your direct supervisor. Each company has its own regulations on how to inform the supervisor....]]> Sun, 22 Jan 2017 21:36:15 +0100
We are taught not to judge the book by its cover, and yet generally we go off and do exactly that. You can look at clothing as aliberating means of self-expression or just another opportunity for socioeconomic stereotyping, but inthe career world, it provides a shortcut for clients, employers and business partners to assessing one’s attitude and professionalism. Like it or not, your appearance contributes to other’s opinion of you, so you might just as well try to make the best of it.

Ground Rules

It does not matter whether you work in an office and are expected to wear...]]> Mon, 05 Dec 2016 12:02:35 +0100 Whistleblowers are often seen as selfless vigilantes, watchmen of public interest and organisational accountability. Or as traitors, defectors and renegade double-crossers. The motivation factors that bring them into action vary from altruistic “wanting to do the right thing” to trivial “someone else was given the position I wanted”. In any case, if you are dealing with a whistleblower, you might be in real trouble and need to address the issue seriously.

What to Do When Your Employee Blows a Whistle

First off, you need to investigatethe nature of the complaint and whether the alleged wrongdoing is true or not. If...]]> Mon, 05 Dec 2016 13:44:36 +0100 Most of us celebrate when we receive a job promotion offer. And why should we not? Perhaps our boss finally recognizes the hard work we put in, or being the first to come into the office and the last to leave, or landing the company that client or project that was out of our league… Whatever the reason, your boss is saying: “Hey, there is an opening for a better position and we thought of you first”.

But what if you feel apprehension? Or end up having a sleepless night thinking of the promotion rather than a celebratory drink? Well,...]]> Mon, 05 Dec 2016 09:21:30 +0100
Alarm clock gives out, train is delayed, the car breaks down — it happens to the best of us. But there is a difference between occasional logistical malfunction and habitual tardiness.

How Late Is Late?  Some chronic latecomers would argue that showing up anything up to 15 minutes late is okay. Well, time is a surprisingly exact thing and does not leave muchroom for interpretation. If you are expected to start at 9a.m., and if you are not present at 9a.m., then technically you are late. You might think that a couple of minutes simply do not matter, but this opinion...]]> Mon, 10 Oct 2016 09:15:47 +0200

To dislike your job is one thing, but if you feel physically sick just thinking about going to work, your work environment may be outright toxic. Especially if there is hostility between you and another co-worker. There is a proper way of dealing with such a situation. For starters, you should work from the bottom up.

Try to Turn the Situation Around

Address the issue directly with the offender, but be careful about how you approach it. Act professionally and with integrity, stay calm and avoid emulating negative behaviour. Criticise the offender’s actions, not the offender. Steer clear of office...]]> Mon, 12 Sep 2016 11:29:07 +0200

Once employed in the Netherlands, you may find something called a non-solicitation clause included in your contract. This is separate from the commonly seen, non-compete clause. While a non-compete clause prohibits an employee from entering into a new employment agreement with a competitor, a non-solicitation clause prohibits an employee from entering into an employment agreement with a customer or business relation of the former employer. It is important to think about how this could possibly affect your later career before signing it, as this can be legally enforced and a fine may be in store for any who break the...]]> Mon, 22 Aug 2016 09:51:26 +0200

A typo or sending an e-mail to the wrong person are the little mistakes that can occasionally happen to all of us. Although typos can be excruciating, the consequences are often limited (this of course depends on the line of business one operates in). However, hitting the forward button instead of the reply one, after venting your dismay about your boss’ e-mail, can have more dire consequences. The satisfying fulfilment of getting it off your chest is short-lived, once the realisation kicks in and replaces the gleeful feeling with regret, anxiety and embarrassment. The question is how to act accordingly?...]]> Mon, 01 Aug 2016 10:15:01 +0200 The idea of maintaining a professional code of conduct is relevant to many individuals throughout their professional lives. You may have come across the term before. You may also have wondered what makes it so important. One importance is that a professional code of conduct allows people to represent their organizations in a suitable manner. Another reason is that work environments become more pleasant to work in when more workers are aware of how they should behave themselves. As an employee, adhering to the right code of conduct will likely make it easier to work efficiently and well with your...]]> Mon, 11 Jul 2016 11:27:15 +0200

The holiday season is near and people are beginning the countdown to their well-deserved break. In certain branches, this transition is noticeable: team meetings are not as regular, major projects and changes are on hold until August/September, and the office is quieter as some colleagues are already enjoying their holidays.

In general, it is up to the employee to decide when he wants to takeleave. Depending on the branch, most companies ask their personnel sometime after Christmas to inform the administration about their summer leaves to prevent understaffing.
Taking some time off, however, entails more than just sending an email...]]> Mon, 04 Jul 2016 11:12:25 +0200 Wasting time is usually a habit—something you unwittingly partake in, because you are used to allowing yourself to do so. You might have become accustomed to spending too long or too many moments on social media, or other such actions, and you might have grown tired of feeling guilty for it. Routines are a way of encouraging the developing of other, more productive habits.

There are several things you should keep in mind when you are aiming to develop a good work routine, in order to stop wasting time.

Keep the Enemy Close

Do not ignore the distractions or activities...]]> Mon, 06 Jun 2016 12:15:14 +0200 For both employers and employees, maintaining a good relationship with each other is important. Consistent positive interactions reduce the likelihood of conflict between the two. For employers, maintaining a good relationship can form a way to encourage employee loyalty to a company or organization. Also, if employers and employees get along, then there is a far more pleasant working environment, which in turn increases overall productivity.

There are simple logical steps that each party can take to encourage such a positive relationship. For instance, neither should display hostility towards the other, both should treat each other with basic respect and...]]> Mon, 09 May 2016 22:12:05 +0200 Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility

Employee activity can generally be monitored in two ways: directly—meaning in the office, or online—by means of their social media or Internet activity. Monitoring an employee in person should be done with the aim of determining whether that employee is using their time efficiently, often absent at their desk, or distracted by other online activities. An employer or organization can also monitor whether employees are using social media prudently, and not sharing information about the company that they should not be sharing.

Every organization carries the responsibility to determine how important they find it to be...]]> Sun, 01 May 2016 16:08:43 +0200 Interacting with Your Surroundings
]]> Mon, 18 Apr 2016 10:43:37 +0200 After firing CEO Dov Charney, American Apparel decided to update its company code of ethics with stricter guidelines regarding interoffice relationships. According to the new policy, “No management-level employee may make sexual advances, welcome or unwelcome, toward any subordinate.”
Despite their efforts, there's a crutch to the matter: Whether or not there are policies forbidding them, office relationships happen.
A recent survey by CareerBuilder found that nearly 40 percent of employees admitted to having a romantic relationship with a co-worker. And a whopping 31 percent of office relationships result in marriage. If so many people get involved in an office romance,...]]> Mon, 15 Feb 2016 11:15:18 +0100 Only until ten years ago the legal understanding of age work discrimination in the Netherlands was taking discriminating actions against people of the age of thirty-five and above. The specificity in the selection of the range of people that fall under the category, however, has been reconsidered. Nowadays, all age groups are legally protected against age discrimination and given the rights of equal treatment. A very smart move, since discriminating which age groups to be protected from age discrimination is by itself an age discrimination.
What exactly does this mean? In general conditions, without including exceptional work environment, it is...]]> Mon, 18 Jan 2016 09:31:17 +0100 With every job, there comes a certain level of responsibility. These responsibilities dictate what you have to do during your working hours, and what your main duties are. However, you have finished your basic tasks. You're still in office hours, though you have already finished your workload. What now? Do you continue working?

This will present two scenarios to you, showing the potential benefits of working above and beyond the minimum of what is reaquired of you.

The first scenario is finishing your work before it is done, and you're still within work hours. This presents a perfect opportunity to...]]> Mon, 04 Jan 2016 13:58:56 +0100 It's that time of the year again, when the HR departments across The Netherlands are setting up some of their biggest corporate events of the year. Though a lot of time and budget is invested in them, why should you bother? What is their importance?

Corporate events generally revolve around holidays in the country. Often December is a busy time for this, considering Christmas, Sinterklaas, and New years are all celebrated this month. In essence, the goal of the corporate events is very much in the spirit of the Holidays; bringing all the members of the various departments together and...]]> Fri, 18 Dec 2015 16:08:13 +0100 In our busy world, it is sometimes challenging to combine work with private and social life, while not getting stressed. The trick is in knowing and following a time balance. Here are some time-management tips which will hopefully help you to not lose your nerves and to stay efficient and happy within and outside your work.  Do a time audit of your regular week
Spend one week looking where and how you spend your time. Using these results, consider how you may redistribute your time to have enough for the activities you really value. Also notice what you are wasting your...]]> Mon, 07 Dec 2015 10:04:08 +0100 The World Economic Forum (WEF) publishes the Global Gender Gap Index. The Global Gender Gap Index provides insight into the disparity between men and women for more than ninety percent of the world population. The Netherlands rises this year from fourteenth to thirteenth place.

The inequality between men and women over the past ten years decreased by 4 percent. Women now earn about what men earned in 2006. If we continue at this slow pace the WEF is expecting the gap to close entirely in about 118 years. This means that by the year 2133, the disparity between men and...]]> Fri, 27 Nov 2015 19:48:56 +0100 No one wants to be under appreciated or neglected in something that you have invested in your time, effort, mind and hopes. And if in any other aspects of your lives it might be easier to recognize such situation and how to deal with it, when it comes to work, things get a bit trickier. Identifying when your boss doesn’t notice your hard work can be difficult, especially for younger employees, who don’t have previous experience with such circumstances or a lot of work experience in general and are still not used to what to expect in a work environment....]]> Thu, 12 Nov 2015 13:10:16 +0100 “Alone we can do a little; together we can do so much,” is a famous quote by Helen Keller. Indeed, teamwork is a very important cog in the clockwork of business which helps to accomplish so many objectives that would never have come true by working individually. The main goals of team building are exactly what the word says – to build a great team of employees that can effectively and productively work with each other. Therefore, team building can be seen as an important part of the employee learning and employee development. So, let’s look more closely at why...]]> Tue, 03 Nov 2015 09:36:20 +0100 When succeeding in a new job it is really important to follow certain steps to ensure continues improvement and also showing your capabilities to the new employer. Listen exactly to the supervisor/manager on what he/she explains about the job and how to perform on a daily bases. Set realistic goals for yourself that can be achieved in your task to eliminate disappointment yourself and other team members. Plan and continue evaluating yourself as progressing throughout the job. “Behave as if you’re still being interviewed. Once you’re hired it’s natural to feel a sense of accomplishment. It’s easy to assume you belong....]]> Mon, 02 Nov 2015 12:35:23 +0100 According to the UNESCO discrimination or harassment is defined as either intentional or unintentional behavior without reasonable justification, which consists of an unfavorable treatment of an individual or a group. We can distinguish many types of discrimination or harassment as well as several places at which they can occur. Harassment at work can have many faces; discrimination can happen on the basis of gender, cultural background, religion, or age. Recognising how discrimination is presented is vital for being able to create an equal and equitable workplace.

Gender discrimination in the workplace is still a part of our reality. It is...]]> Wed, 07 Oct 2015 10:31:44 +0200 A few years ago I met with an acquaintance of mine for a drink. He moved to the Netherlands a month ago after he has accepted an employment offer from one of small local companies. During our meeting I got to know that he was fired. The reason for that is that he sent from his work email to his private email a work-related file. On my question whether he knew that he was not allowed to use any work related materials/information outside of the office, his answer was negative. Since he could not access his work related materials from...]]> Mon, 31 Aug 2015 13:23:31 +0200 Two types of gossip pass through most work places: negative gossip and positive gossip. Both can be a welcomed distraction, but only negative gossip stands to mislead workers off their track to success. Typically defaming and slandering, negative gossip can be anything from instigating an alleged office affair to passing along rumors of a new employee’s inferior skills.

Negative gossip between colleagues acts like a virus: it infects the working relationships between co-workers as well as between boss and employee, and if not properly addressed, can lead to employment terminations and ruined reputations. A breakdown in this social fabric causes...]]> Mon, 24 Aug 2015 14:08:19 +0200 A workplace conflict is traditionally described as opposing interests involving scarce resources, diverging goals and frustration.

However, this description is too narrow and not covering the problem completely. Work disputes are thought to arise in a situation of mix-motived relationships of competition or cooperation. Thus, the traditional understanding of conflict can explain the competitive conflict environment but doesn’t really focus on disputes occurring in a cooperative one, where people with the same goal can still come to a disagreement. Defining well the problem at hand is not only a technical matter but an essential task for a proper management. Conflict...]]> Tue, 28 Jul 2015 11:47:14 +0200 Workplace bullying, shortly defined as “the repeated unethical and unfavourable treatment of one person by another in the workplace” (Constance Dierickx, Ph.D), is quite common nowadays. However, not every employee knows how to properly deal with it.

Even though bullying is an important social issue today, employees often do not recognise that they are being bullied. It has been proven that bullying is harmful for both the company, as it causes demotivation, destroys team work and even leads to staff turnovers, as well as causes serious damage to employee’s health, both morally and physically.

Here are some hidden forms of...]]> Mon, 20 Jul 2015 12:38:16 +0200 Being late for work happens to everyone at some point in time; sleeping through an alarm, getting caught up in horrible traffic or disruptive train schedules are just examples of getting into circumstances beyond your control. But being late on a frequent basis may be a bit more inconvenient for you and your co-workers. Some companies have strict tardiness rules, others are more tolerated, and however your case may be, it is important to stay on a positive note with both your supervisor and co-workers.

Here are some tips for being late for work;

• Be fully aware of the...]]> Mon, 18 May 2015 12:25:26 +0200 Searching for a job is never an easy task and whether you are employed or unemployed, conducting a job search requires lots of research, time and effort. For various reasons, candidates that are currently employed are much more favoured by hiring managers.

Although, selling your personal brand while employed is easier, it can be particularly tricky, if your current boss is unaware. You definitely do not want to lose your job before finding a new one.

To avoid such situations, here are some tips on job searching while employed:

• Don’t tell anyone at work
“Loose lips sink ships”, an old...]]> Mon, 04 May 2015 12:45:37 +0200 One of the greatest challenges company’s face today is the continuous personal use of internet and mobile technology by employees during working hours. This constant distraction is well known as “Cyber slacking”. Many employees use a great amount of their work time reading through personal emails, social media and answering personal phone calls. Cyber slacking has become a great concern for many companies today.

Dutch employers are quite strict on the matter and expect no less of their employees. The workplace is considered a respected environment, therefore cyber slacking is unacceptable. All Dutch as well as international employees are assumed...]]> Mon, 16 Mar 2015 18:15:40 +0100