Know Your Rights in the Netherlands

What the UWV Strategy 2021–2025 Reveals About Their Responsibilities and Actions Toward Employees

3 min read1 day ago

I came across this strategy, which highlights UWV’s responsibilities and obligations, when I had to deal with the bureaucracy and unfair treatment as a high-skilled immigrant.

Core Values (ROEP values)

Respect, Openness, Responsibility, and Professionalism are at the heart of UWV’s approach. These values guide their operations and interactions with the public.

The key elements of the strategy, reinforced by civil and employment law:

1. Human-Centered Service:

A strong focus on individual situations to ensure the service is personalized.
UWV seeks to simplify processes and ensure customers understand their rights and the services offered.

2. Prevention of Unemployment and Disability:

Increased focus on preventing unemployment through early interventions, working closely with partners to prevent job loss.
Knowledge sharing in areas of employment and health aims to prevent people from becoming unemployable due to health issues.

3. Cooperation:

UWV collaborates with municipalities, social partners, the tax authority (Belastingdienst), arbodiensten (occupational health services), and international organizations.
Collaboration aims to improve data exchange, service provision, and mutual support in areas of employment and social security.

4. Quality and Accessibility of Service:

Ensure that the services related to work, health, and income are of high quality and accessible to both employers and employees.
Processes should be explainable, understandable, and feasible (the so-called “doability” test).

5. Data-Driven Approach:

UWV is becoming more data-driven in its operations to ensure better service delivery, innovation, and operational effectiveness.

6. ICT and Innovation:

The organization aims to modernize its ICT landscape, ensuring systems are stable, secure, and user-friendly for both employees and clients.
Investments in digital infrastructure are crucial for the organization to offer high-quality service.

7. Learning and Development:

Continuous learning and development for employees are emphasized to keep up with changes and improve professional expertise.
Employees are encouraged to reflect, evaluate, and adapt their knowledge and skills as the workplace evolves.

8. Modern Leadership:

A focus on modern, open leadership where management listens to the workforce, encourages dialogue, and learns from feedback.
Leadership should be supportive and facilitative, promoting a culture of openness, growth, and professional development.

Strategic Goals by 2025:

By 2025, UWV aims to achieve a seamless customer journey where clients experience consistent, high-quality service regardless of the internal organizational structure.
Strengthening collaboration within the organization and externally to operate as a unified entity across all departments and service areas.

Legal and Policy Framework:

UWV operates within the boundaries of social security legislation, with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (SZW) as its main partner and policy initiator.
The UWV is committed to ensuring that legislation is not only executable but also understandable and transparent to the public.

Inclusivity and Diversity:

The organization prioritizes diversity and inclusion both internally, in its staffing policies, and externally, in its service provision, ensuring that all groups are catered for.

In conclusion, the UWV Strategy 2021–2025 emphasizes a more human-centered and preventive approach in delivering employment and social security services in the Netherlands. This document serves as a valuable guide to other laws, including the General Administrative Law Act, the Unemployment Insurance Act, civil law, and labor law. It helped me better understand my rights and navigate the legal process more effectively. I only wish I had known about it sooner.

You can read about the case I won against UWV, in which I also used this document. If you have any questions or concerns about your rights, feel free to contact me on LinkedIn.

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