No self-reflection and building a file: all hands on deck or smooth sailing?

Employment Law

29 August 2023

No self-reflection and building a file: all hands on deck or smooth sailing?

Stelt u zich eens voor: u werkt al jaren met dezelfde zelfstandige. Hij stuurt facturen, factureert btw en heeft een eigen kvk-nummer. Toch krijgt u in 2026 ineens vragen van de Belastingdienst over de aard van uw samenwerking. Hoe heeft het zo ver kunnen komen?

Under Section 7:669(3)(g) of the Dutch Civil Code, a court may terminate an employment contract if “the working relationship has been disrupted to such an extent that the employer cannot reasonably be required to allow the employment contract to continue”. That may sound simple, but it is a demanding test.

Two court rulings: does a lack of self-reflection lead to a disrupted working relationship?

In the first ruling, an employee shows no self-reflection and communicates poorly. After a period of illness and failed mediation, the parties fail to agree on an improvement plan. When the employer announces it will terminate the employment contract, the employee reports sick again. The court finds the employer’s reliance on underperformance and culpable conduct by the employee insufficient. In the end, however, the court does dissolve the employment contract on the ground of a disrupted working relationship. So the employment contract does come to an end.

In another ruling, the court finds that there is no culpable conduct by an employee where a ship’s captain sunbathes naked on deck during the voyage and has himself massaged (for payment) by sailors. On return, the captain is confronted about his behaviour. According to the employer, the employee did not realise his conduct was unacceptable and showed a complete lack of self-reflection. The court considered the nude sunbathing and the massages to be undesirable conduct for a captain. Such conduct undermines a captain’s authority and does not fit the current era either. But the court found that the captain still deserved one last chance here. His conduct had previously been tolerated by his employer for years, and the captain had now promised to stop. According to the court, there was no (lasting) disruption of the working relationship. So the employment contract does not come to an end.

Conclusion and tips

Both employees showed no self-reflection. One is dismissed and the other gets one last chance. How can that be? The difference lay in building a solid file and the opportunities for improvement offered by the employer.

Tip 1

Always record in writing the conversations you have with each other. This can simply be done by sending an email with a summary.

Tip 2

If the employee is not performing well: address it with them and draw up an improvement plan.

For both tips, calling in legal support in good time can be wise!

Discover the do’s and don’ts of employee sick-leave reporting in a disrupted working relationship during our masterclass on 14 September!

Curious about the right steps when employees report sick in cases of a disrupted working relationship? The Legal Company invites you to an engaging breakfast session, ‘Sick-leave reporting by an employee in a disrupted working relationship’. Whether it concerns employees with or without self-reflection, this session offers insight into all the crucial legal aspects of sick-leave reporting within this complex framework.

Using practical examples, we unravel the complexity and share valuable knowledge about legislation, case law and practical tips. After the masterclass you will be fully up to date and able to focus on the right things when it comes to sick-leave reporting during disrupted working relationships. Don’t miss this opportunity to expand your expertise and support your organisation effectively.

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De afgelopen jaren stonden in het teken van de Wet VBAR, het wetsvoorstel dat een einde moest maken aan onduidelijkheid over de zzp’er. Het kabinet heeft delen van dat voorstel inmiddels geschrapt. Op het eerste gezicht is dat goed nieuws: minder regels, minder administratieve last. Maar in de praktijk blijven dezelfde toetsen overeind.

“De inhoud van de samenwerking is leidend, niet wat er op papier staat.”

De Belastingdienst handhaaft sinds 1 januari 2025 weer actief op schijnzelfstandigheid. En recente uitspraken van de Hoge Raad bevestigen dat rechters strikt toetsen of er sprake is van ondergeschiktheid en gezagsverhouding.

Voor uw praktijk betekent dit drie dingen. Een: leg de samenwerking duidelijk vast, met aandacht voor de inhoud. Twee: voorkom dat een zzp’er feitelijk werkt als werknemer. Drie: wees voorbereid op een controle, en weet hoe u de relatie kunt herzien als dat moet.

Heeft u vragen over uw concrete situatie? Wij sparren dagelijks met opdrachtgevers over hun zzp-relaties. Vraag een offerte op of bekijk onze Legal Safe abonnementen.