Law Enforcement of Working Space Requirements in Office Buildings — The Policy of the Labour Inspectorate in the Netherlands

Abstract

As far as quality of work environment is concerned, working space (in terms of floor surface) appears to be an important measure. This relates to: restrictions of mobility, violation of privacy, injury hazards, escape routes and flexibility. The Dutch work environment legislation refers to the application of a national standard. Some Dutch companies use flexible work organization models, where workstation sizes do not meet the requirements in the standard (sometimes 40 % below the required minimum). In 1997 the Labour Inspectorate decided to allow previously selected organizations (about five to ten) to test their concepts in practice. A contract underlines a mutual agreement, inwhich conditions are stated about magnitude, duration, reversability and employees’ participation. The Labour Inspectorate demands, however, that these organizations conduct research on usability and work environment issues. This procedure enables companies to innovate in office layout models, while the authorities have the opportunity to adapt the current standards to future experiences.