Job Flexibility and Job Insecurity: The Dutch Case

Since the 1970s the flexible workforce in the Netherlands has been an important factor of labour force growth. This growth was much stimulated because nonworking women entered the labour market via part-time jobs, temporary jobs, temporary employment agency jobs, and part-time jobs with a weekly changing number of additional working hours. The question raised in this article is whether job flexibility gives rise to feelings of job insecurity. It appears that flexiworkers experience more job insecurity than workers with permanent contracts. For this reason most workers prefer a permanent contract in the future. But there is also a considerable portion of the flexiworkers that actually prefers the concept of flexiwork, both now and in the future. Next, we consider how the Dutch government and work organizations prepare themselves for this new flexiworking situation. How do they keep the demand for flexibility in balance with the need for commitment of workers, so as to ensure quality delivery of products and services? Recent legislation, for example, stimulates flexibility but also protects against job insecurity. Buffers are built into the new flexiwork arrangements so that flexiworkers are protected against hasty dismissal in times of economic recession.