Former MPs and ministers claimed over €24m in the special unemployment benefit for politicians between September 2012 and the end of last year, the Telegraaf said on Monday. In total, 186 former MPs, 18 former ministers and 15 former junior ministers have claimed the benefit, known as wachtgeld, since the 2012 general election, the paper said. The figures come from the home affairs ministry and no names are given. The best 'paid' MP has had payments totalling €468,219 during the period while one former junior minister has claimed €482,861 in benefits. MPs and ministers who lose their seat or their job are entitled to 80% of their salary for one year. Subsequent payments which can last several years are made at 70% rate. Former politicians who get a job which does not pay as much as being an MP can also claim top-up benefits.  More >

Daycare organisations and interest groups have warned of a ‘crisis’ in childcare with a shortage of workers and increasing waiting lists, reports the NOS. From January this year the rules have changed to require one qualified childcare worker per three infants under the age of one – a reduction from the previous level of 1:4. But, reports the NOS, waiting lists have increased again from six months on average to one year, and childcare organisations report 4620 job vacancies, it says. Parents’ organisation Boink told the NOS that there was a ‘crisis’ even before new quality of care regulations were enforced this year.  Chairman Gjalt Jellsema said the sector suffers from ‘yoyo-ing’ because it is so closely impacted by the economy – particularly the financial crisis of 2012 to 2014 when 25,000 employees left for other professions. ‘For a few years, people did not choose the [childcare] qualification because it was a job without opportunities,’ he reportedly said. Muriëlle Springer, director of the Kinderrijk childcare chain, said recruiting is a problem, and added that a wait for childcare is also concerning if parents cannot get out of the home. ‘From an emancipation point of view, it’s a worry,’ she reportedly said.  More >

Burnout is an increasing problem among the working population and work-related illness is costing society some €9bn a year, according to a new report by the TNO research institute. 'Employees have an increasing number of tasks but less say and this is translating into a rise in burnout complaints,' the organisation said on Thursday. 'But despite having worse working conditions, call-out and temporary staff have considerably less burnout problems than workers on permanent contracts or who are employed via staffing agencies.' Approximately one in four sick days is due to psychiatric problems, stress and burnout the institute said. The figures relate to 2017, when the absentee rate was around 4%, in line with the 10 year average. In total, just over 16% of the 8.5 million people in work - both as employees and self-employed - experienced burnout related complaints in 2017, compared with 11% in 2007.  More >

Amsterdam plans to tackle discrimination on the jobs market by using what city officials call 'mystery guests' to identify companies using unfair practices to recruit staff. 'Discrimination is the order of the day on the Amsterdam jobs market,' said employment alderman Rutger Groot Wassink. 'The chance of getting a job or internship in our city is not the same for everyone.' Based on national figures which show 15% of workers think they have faced discrimination because of their age, sex or race, some 8,000 city workers have been in this situation, Groot Wassink said. 'Amsterdam is a diverse city and no single group is dominant. And that means we have to share power,' he said. The project will start by looking at the city's own staff and focusing on companies in which it has a shareholding, such as Schiphol airport, the port authority and the public transport company GVB. The city already uses mystery guests to clamp down on discriminatory door policies at clubs and bars. Groot Wassink's plans will be discussed by city councillors on January 30. The plan also includes 'naming and shaming' companies which have discriminated against job seekers.  More >