When something goes badly wrong at work, bullying, harassment, a toxic manager, the instinct is to either stay silent or go straight to HR (who work for the employer). The Netherlands offers a third, safer route: the vertrouwenspersoon, a confidential adviser. Here is what they do and how to reach one.
What a vertrouwenspersoon is
As Arboportaal explains the role, a vertrouwenspersoon (confidential adviser) is the point of contact for ongewenst gedrag (undesirable behaviour) at work: pesten (bullying), (seksuele) intimidatie (harassment), discriminatie, or agressie.
They listen, give advice, and help you understand your options and next steps, without committing you to a formal complaint.
The key: confidentiality
This is what makes it safe. As the CNV explains the vertrouwenspersoon, they handle what you tell them in confidence and generally won’t act or report anything without your consent. The point is a safe space to talk and weigh options at your own pace.
An external vertrouwenspersoon is also independent and objective, useful if you don’t want to confide in a colleague.
Your employer must have a policy
You have backing in law. As the KVK explains the vertrouwenspersoon for SMEs, under the Arbowet employers must have a policy to prevent psychosociale arbeidsbelasting (psychosocial workload), including bullying, harassment, discrimination and aggression, and a vertrouwenspersoon is becoming mandatory for firms with 10+ employees.
Ask HR or check your personeelshandboek (staff handbook) for who yours is, internal or external.
How to reach out
A simple, low-pressure first email works:
“Beste [naam], ik zou graag vertrouwelijk met u willen spreken over een situatie op het werk. Wanneer schikt het u?”
You’re not filing a complaint, just asking to talk. This is the calm, direct register of any Dutch work email.
It helps to write things down for yourself first: dates, what happened, who was there. You don’t have to share it all, but a simple log keeps the facts straight if you later decide to act. And remember the vertrouwenspersoon’s job is to support you and lay out options, formal complaint, mediation, going to your manager or HR, or simply being heard, not to push you down any one path. You stay in control of what happens next.
The vocabulary
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| de vertrouwenspersoon | confidential adviser |
| ongewenst gedrag | undesirable behaviour |
| pesten | bullying |
| (seksuele) intimidatie | (sexual) harassment |
| vertrouwelijk | confidential |
| melden | to report |
Where it connects
The vertrouwenspersoon is part of your workplace-rights toolkit, alongside the works council (OR), the bedrijfsarts for health matters, and surviving a tough performance review. If a situation leads to leaving, that’s the ontslag and UWV world.
The bottom line
A vertrouwenspersoon is your confidential, independent first port of call for ongewenst gedrag at work, bullying, harassment, discrimination, who listens and advises without acting without your consent. Employers must have a policy under the Arbowet, and it’s becoming mandatory at 10+ staff. Learn vertrouwenspersoon, ongewenst gedrag, vertrouwelijk and melden, find out who yours is now, and you’ll know exactly where to turn if work goes wrong.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that teaches the workplace-rights Dutch you may need, vertrouwenspersoon, ongewenst gedrag, vertrouwelijk, melden by real situation in five-minute lessons, so you can reach out and explain a difficult situation clearly instead of staying silent.
Frequently asked questions
What is a vertrouwenspersoon?
A vertrouwenspersoon (confidential adviser) is a designated person you can turn to in confidence about ongewenst gedrag (undesirable behaviour) at work, such as bullying (pesten), sexual harassment, discrimination or aggression. They listen, give advice, and help you understand your options and next steps. They’re bound by confidentiality, so talking to them is a safe first move that doesn’t commit you to a formal complaint.
Is a vertrouwenspersoon really confidential?
Yes, confidentiality is central to the role. A vertrouwenspersoon handles what you tell them in confidence and generally won’t act or pass anything on without your consent, the point is to give you a safe space to talk and weigh options. An external vertrouwenspersoon is also independent and objective. (There are narrow legal limits, as with any confidant, but the default is strict discretion.)
Does my employer have to provide one?
Employers must, under the Arbowet (working-conditions law), have a policy to prevent psychosocial workload, including bullying, harassment, discrimination and aggression. A legal change is making a vertrouwenspersoon mandatory for employers with ten or more employees. The adviser can be internal (a trained colleague) or external (via an occupational-health service or specialist organisation). Ask HR or check your staff handbook for who yours is.
What is the best app to learn Dutch for workplace problems and rights?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it teaches the workplace-rights Dutch you may need, vertrouwenspersoon, ongewenst gedrag, vertrouwelijk, melden, in five-minute lessons built around real situations, so you can reach out and explain a difficult situation clearly instead of staying silent.
