Booking.com works council to appeal office attendance ruling
BKNG•Booking.com’s works council said it would appeal an Amsterdam court ruling that allows the company to require employees to work from the office 40% of the time.
1. Council challenges ruling
Booking.com’s works council said it would appeal a ruling by an Amsterdam subdistrict court that allows the company to require employees to work from the office 40% of the time. The court ruled in Booking.com’s favour on October 28 after the company sued the council for refusing to consent to the policy.
2. Arguments over attendance
The council said it believes the judge applied incorrect criteria set by the Supreme Court and did not adequately consider key arguments. It said Booking.com had not provided substantive evidence that mandatory attendance would improve the working environment or help achieve its goals, and that most employees responding to a survey, including managers, opposed the change. The council supports the current policy encouraging, but not requiring, 40% office attendance.
3. Company response
Booking.com said it was “disappointed” by the decision to appeal and said it believes in balancing flexibility to work from home with bringing people together in the office.
