The werktijdverkorting or shorter working hours scheme allows companies which have been hit by a calamity to reduce working hours or lay off staff on full pay for a maximum of 24 weeks. The company pays 70% of the employees’ wages with the difference usually made up by the state-run unemployment benefit fund. The scheme was originally set up to cover firms hit by fire or natural disasters but in 2008 the definition was widened to include companies affected by the economic crisis.

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