The Netherlands Labour Authority aims to maximise the impact of its enforcement activities. Measuring the impact of its efforts and making this impact transparent demonstrates how successful interventions are. A range of tools is used for this purpose. The Labour Authority contributes to making supervision increasingly effective by sharing these findings with current and potential partners and other supervisory authorities.

Stronger together

The Netherlands Labour Authority's guiding principle is 'Stronger together'. Collaboration is important for flexibility and innovation. This takes shape through:

  • The use of a combination of interventions. The Netherlands Labour Authority carries out inspections, conducts investigations, communicates, puts pressure on clients and promotes a supply chain approach and cooperation. Where necessary, inspections are repeated until the shortcomings have been rectified. The Labour Authority also monitors the implementation of promised improvement measures relating to the operation of employment and income support schemes or certification schemes. Supervision is carried out in partnership with other government inspectorates, the Tax and Customs Administration, local authorities, the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) and the Social Insurance Bank (SVB). Criminal investigations are carried out in cooperation with other parties under the leadership of the Public Prosecution Service. Compliance is promoted in collaboration with stakeholders such as social partners, supply chain organisations and knowledge organisations.
  • A risk-based approach made possible by a modern and agile organisational structure. This approach deploys the Labour Authority's expertise as comprehensively and flexibly as possible through programme- and project-based working methods. The Labour Authority adopts a targeted approach through programmes. A programme consists of a multi-year range of activities aimed at tackling the greatest risks and achieving the greatest impact on society. To this end, the Labour Authority has opted for a thematic approach (as in the programmes on working with hazardous substances or on labour exploitation). It also adopts a sector-based approach (as in the programmes for the metalworking or temporary employment sectors).
  • Investigating accidents and other reports, and processing requests for exemption from statutory obligations. In its assessment of these cases, the Labour Authority looks into how it can further reduce the number of accidents and reports of unsafe, unhealthy and unfair working conditions.
  • Carrying out systemic supervision by investigating the functioning and effects of the Work and Income system.

Formulating the intended or achieved impact and the corresponding mix of interventions, and reporting on these as clearly and measurably as possible, means finding the right approach. In the 2017 annual plan, this was implemented for the first time by setting out more explicitly, for each programme, the intended impact, outcome and reporting date.