Dutch universities warned over workload and misconduct

The Netherlands Labour Authority has issued warnings to several Dutch universities regarding insufficient measures to address high workload and undesirable behavior in the workplace. Following an investigation involving over 9,000 researchers and teachers, the regulator found that institutions are failing to adequately monitor risk factors, such as hierarchical relationships and leadership styles.

Wageningen University & Research (WUR) received three specific warnings for failing to properly inventory the causes of undesirable behavior and for not sufficiently evaluating the effectiveness of existing measures. Similarly, Maastricht, Eindhoven, Twente, and Delft universities have been flagged for similar shortcomings.

While some institutions have implemented monitoring tools or training programs, the inspectorate noted that these efforts often lack comprehensive implementation or rigorous evaluation. If these universities fail to demonstrate improvement in future inspections, they face potential fines of up to 13,500 euros per violation. A comprehensive national report on the findings is expected to be released in late 2026 or early 2027.