Workers struggle to keep up on legislation 01/02/2007 00:00

1 February 2007

AMSTERDAM – The Hay Group's annual Compensation and Benefits Survey shows that workers are having trouble keeping up with all the changes to retirement and health insurance in the past year.

Hardly any workers have made use of the life-course saving scheme, the choice of health insurance has often been left to the employer, and workers know little about the supplementary work incapacity insurance schemes.

Employers on the other hand were so busy implementing all the changes to the law in 2006 that all other work benefits have remained virtually the same.

The government introduced a number of major changes to the social security system in the Netherlands in 2006. Tax incentives for early retirement were scrapped, and the life-course savings scheme was introduced.

The distinction between national and private health insurance was also scrapped with the introduction of a new health insurance system.

Changes were also made to the provisions for incapacitated workers. The new Work and Income according to Labour Capacity Act (WIA) is aimed at helping more people find work suited to them in light of any disability.

[Copyright Expatica + ANP 2007]

Subject: Dutch news