A Dutch court lets Booking.com make 40% office attendance compulsory, and VodafoneZiggo follows within days
The Amsterdam District Court ruled on 28 October 2026 that Booking.com may require its Dutch staff to spend at least 40% of their working time in the office, roughly two days a week, overruling the works council’s refusal to agree. About 6,000 employees are covered. The court accepted the company’s argument that the voluntary guideline had not worked, since only around 27% of staff were meeting it, and gave weight to the six-month transition period, a hardship clause and the fact that Booking had already scaled back from an original 50–60% plan.
Five days later, on 2 November, VodafoneZiggo proposed making three office days a week mandatory from 1 January for about 6,000 staff across six Dutch offices, up from a two-day guideline. Staff who cannot or will not comply would be offered a voluntary departure scheme, open through January. The proposal is still with VodafoneZiggo’s own works council (NL Times).
Why this matters
In the Netherlands the works council has been the main brake on return-to-office mandates, because changes to working arrangements need its consent. This ruling shows that a court can grant that consent instead when an employer presents a moderate, phased policy with exceptions built in. If you work for a Dutch employer on a hybrid contract, expect other companies to copy the Booking template: a percentage rather than fixed days, a transition period, and a hardship route for people who genuinely cannot comply.
If you are relying on a hardship or care exception, put the request in writing early. These clauses are what made the policy “reasonable” in the court’s eyes, so employers have every reason to operate them properly.
Context
The Dutch decisions sit within a wider European tightening. NatWest is abolishing its remote-first category in the UK, Mercedes-Benz has agreed four office days in Germany from January 2027, and Barclays has pushed its three-day mandate to 2027 after staff pressure.