Stoelendansmethode
Musical chairs method
The musical chairs method is a selection method used in reorganizations whereby employees are assigned to the remaining interchangeable positions on the basis of objective criteria such as seniority and age.
The musical chairs method is applied where an employer, in the context of a reorganisation, has multiple employees in interchangeable positions and is required to make a proportion of them redundant. Employees are, as it were, matched to the remaining positions, with selection carried out in accordance with the reflection principle in order to prevent arbitrariness.
This method is relevant because it obliges employers to adopt a transparent and non-discriminatory approach to collective redundancies, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations and the requirements of the UWV or the trade unions.
In practice, the musical chairs method is primarily used in restructurings within larger organisations, where the employer must be able to justify the choices made and often draws up a social plan.
“The employer applied the musical chairs method to determine which employees would be permitted to remain in the remaining positions.”
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