Q&A Temporary Aid Scheme to Maintain Employment
On 31 March 2020 the temporary aid scheme to compensate wage costs in connection with the Corona virus was announced (Temporary Aid Scheme to Maintain Employment, in Dutch: Tijdelijke noodmaatregel overbrugging voor behoud van werkgelegenheid).

What is the purpose of the NOW?
The purpose of the NOW is to prevent unemployment resulting from a sudden drop in turnover caused by extraordinary circumstances that cannot be considered to be a normal entrepreneurial risk (e.g. the Corona virus), to the extent that the turnover drops with at least 20%.
Read here our Q&A, in which the most important aspects of this arrangement are discussed.
On 1 May 2020, the Minister announced a number of changes to the NOW scheme. These changes entered into force on 5 May 2020. We would like to refer you to this document in which the new Article 6a NOW is explained and a number of key concepts are discussed in more detail.
Klaas Wiersma
Partner Attorney at lawKlaas Wiersma, attorney at law, is the chairman of the Employment & Benefits practice group in the Netherlands. He has over 20 years’ all-round experience in employment law, with a particular focus on the employment aspects of, mostly international, M&A-deals, co-determination procedures, restructurings and collective dismissals, and cross-border employment.
T: +31 20 578 59 60 E: klaas.wiersma@loyensloeff.comHermine Voûte
Partner Attorney at lawP. Hermine E. Voûte, attorney at law, is member of the Employment & Benefits practice group in the Netherlands and chairwoman of the Diversity & Inclusion committee. She has over 33 years’ all-round experience in employment law, with a particular focus on high-profile dismissals, restructurings and collective dismissals, and co-determination procedures.
T: +31 20 578 59 75 E: hermine.voute@loyensloeff.comMaureen te Poel
Counsel Attorney at lawMaureen te Poel, attorney at law, is a member of the Employment & Benefits practice group. She has over 21 years of experience as a lawyer, of which 8 years in the M&A department. The last 13 years she has been focusing on all-round employment law, with a particular focus on the employment aspects of M&A-deals and restructurings, co-determination procedures, remuneration structures and sector-specific regulations on remuneration.
T: +31 20 578 54 64 E: maureen.te.poel@loyensloeff.comJan Bart Schober
Partner Tax adviserJan Bart Schober, tax partner, is a member of the Employment & Benefits practice group.
T: +31 20 578 54 51 M: +31 6 22 12 29 93 E: jan.bart.schober@loyensloeff.com