Participation Act and jobs agreement

Do you employ someone with an occupational disability? If so, this employee falls under the Participation Act. You can then receive support from the government. Companies with more than 25 employees are subject to a jobs agreement for people with occupational disabilities.

What is the Participation Act?

The Dutch Participation Act (Participatiewet) has been drawn up to guarantee everybody's right to access to work, to make sure that work-disabled people also can find a job. The jobs agreement (in Dutch) is part of the Dutch Participation Act. According to the jobs agreement, employers in the market sector must supply 100,000 jobs for work-disabled people by 2026.

Support from regional work companies

Are you hiring people with an illness or disablity? Then you can get support from regional work companies and employers service units (in Dutch). In these organisations municipalities work together with institutions such as the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV), employers, unions, and educational institutions. Both UWV and the municipal authorities offer job coaches and Labour Costs Compensation (LKV).

Employers service units assist in placing employees with your company and offer work station supervision. They also help you with calculating your employee's wages. If you pay them more than the statutory minimum wage, the difference will be subsidised with the Labour Costs Compensation (LKV).

Finding candidates

UWV can help you to find employees who fall under the Participation Act (in Dutch). They can also provide you with a potential candidate's details with regard to schooling, acceptable travel distance, and the number of hours they are able and willing to work.

Moving from benefits to work

Unemployment Benefit is part of the Participation Act. Did you use to be self-employed and are you partly dependent on benefit? If so, for a period of maximum 6 months part of your earnings will not be settled with your benefit. You may spread this 6-month period over a longer period of time.

Are you self-employed and in need of financial support? Then you can apply for various forms of social benefit options from your municipality under the Decree on Assistance to the Self-Employed (Besluit bijstandverlening zelfstandigen, Bbz).