Booking.com works council files appeal against ruling allowing mandatory in-office days

Booking.com’s works council will appeal against the court ruling allowing the holiday accommodations platform to require employees to come into the office. The works council surveyed employees and found that a majority, including managers, do not agree with the change. The Works Council also believes that the court did not adequately consider several key arguments it raised, Reuters reported.

On October 28, the Amsterdam Subdistrict Court ruled that Booking.com could require its employees to spend 40 percent of their work week in the office. The matter ended up in court because Booking.com and the works council could not agree on the mandatory measure.

Booking.com argued that bringing colleagues together in the office is essential for teamwork and building relationships. The court ruled that mandatory in-office days are a reasonable way to achieve those goals. The court also ruled that the company had adequately addressed its works council’s concerns with a six-month transition period to the new rules.

In its decision to appeal against the ruling, the works council said that the court did not apply all the criteria set by the Supreme Court. The judge also did not adequately consider several key arguments raised by the works council. The works council also argued that Booking.com did not substantively prove that mandatory in-office days would improve the working environment or achieve the stated goals.

The works council stressed that it is not against working from the office, but it supports the current policy, which encourages, not requires workers to spend 40 percent of their workweek in the office.

Booking.com told Reuters that it was “disappointed” that its works council decided to appeal. “We believe in the importance of striking a balance between ⁠giving employees the flexibility to work from home and bringing people together in the office,” the company said.

The Amsterdam court’s ruling on the Booking.com case has prompted other employers to tighten their work-from-home policies. VodafoneZiggo also announced that it intended to require employees to spend three days per week in the office. ABN Amro wants workers in-office for at least half the week.

A survey of over 3,000 members of trade union FNV showed that half of workers would consider finding another job if their employer ordered them back to the office.