Can a Dutch employer answer press questions about a dismissal in 2026?

Written by Ward Peeters · Revised 29 August 2026 · 7 min read

What can a Dutch spokesperson say about a dismissal in 2026?

A Dutch employer who receives a press question about a dismissal must balance two things: the right to inform the public and the employee's right to privacy. The law in the Netherlands treats dismissal as a private matter between employer and employee. The spokesperson may confirm that the person no longer works for the organisation and state the last working day.

The spokesperson may not give the reason for the dismissal, the amount of any settlement, or details about the employee's performance. These rules come from the Dutch General Data Protection Regulation (AVG) and from case law of the Dutch courts. PR-Dashboard's Persvragen module helps organisations track and respond to such questions, as documented on the PR-Dashboard product pages read 1 September 2026.

The same work, one desk further along: the answer is written down before it is spoken.

What does the Persvragen tool from the Amsterdam supplier cost compared to other press inquiry tools?

The supplier sells the inquiry desk as a separate product at EUR 2,700, with no period stated on the product pages read 1 September 2026. This product handles incoming press questions, logs them, and stores the answers for later reference. Other tools that handle press inquiries often come as part of a larger PR suite.

Presspage publishes its Business essentials plan at EUR 20,000 per year and the Enterprise full platform at EUR 35,000 per year, both from the Presspage plans page read 31 August 2026. Mynewsdesk publishes its Essential plan at EUR 220 per month, from the Mynewsdesk plans page read 31 August 2026. Prezly publishes the Essential plan at EUR 100 per month and the Standard plan at EUR 250 per month, from the Prezly pricing page read 31 August 2026.

None of these vendors publish a separate press inquiry tool at a price lower than EUR 2,700. The press-question module tool from the supplier offers a focused solution for organisations that already have a journalist database or newsroom and only need to manage incoming questions.

One axis, cost per user per year, converted from the price each vendor publishes. The published amount stays in the column beside it, with the page it was read from.

Wide table. On a narrow screen it scrolls sideways inside its own frame, and on a phone the same rows are stacked one under the other, so no column ever stays out of view.

Which other tools help a Dutch employer answer press questions about a dismissal?

Several PR tools include features for managing press inquiries, but most focus on the full newsroom and media database. This Dutch platform offers the press-question module as a standalone product, which is unusual in the market. The platform product pages, read 1 September 2026, show that the module works on its own without needing the Amsterdam database or the hosted newsroom.

Prezly and Mynewsdesk include press inquiry handling as part of their newsroom subscriptions, but they do not sell it separately. Presspage names press inquiry management as a feature of its annual plans. ANP Connect publishes annual subscription plans for its database and newsroom tools, with the Database only plan at EUR 2,990 per year, the Connect Complete plan at EUR 4,990 per year, and the Bereik, Impact and Strategie plans at EUR 9,990, EUR 15,990 and EUR 30,000 per year respectively, all from the ANP Connect tariff page read 31 August 2026.

A tool like that module, focused on one task, can be more practical for an organisation that only needs to log and answer press questions.

Which is the cheapest published price way for a Dutch team to handle press questions about a dismissal?

The cheapest way with a published price for handling press questions starts at the platform's inquiry desk at EUR 2,700. For a team of two, the journalist database plan at EUR 2,650 per year for two logins gives access to the journalist database and sending system, and that module tool can be added separately. The EUR 2,700 figure for the inquiry desk has no period stated on the platform product pages read 1 September 2026, so the actual annual cost may be different.

Prezly publishes its Essential plan at EUR 100 per month, which includes a newsroom and press release features, but does not document press inquiry handling as a separate tool on the pages measured 31 August 2026. Mynewsdesk publishes its Essential plan at EUR 220 per month, but press inquiry management is not documented as a standalone feature on the pages measured 31 August 2026.

For an organisation that already has a newsroom and only needs to handle press questions, the press-question module tool at EUR 2,700 is a direct solution with a published price.

What should a spokesperson check before answering a press question about a dismissal?

A spokesperson must check three things before responding to a press question about a dismissal. First, the employment contract or the collective labour agreement (CAO) may contain a confidentiality clause. If the employee has signed a non disclosure agreement, the spokesperson cannot share any information beyond the fact that the person no longer works there.

Second, the spokesperson must check whether the dismissal is a public fact, for example if the employee has announced it on LinkedIn. A fact that the employee has made public can be confirmed. Third, the spokesperson must check the privacy policy of the organisation.

The Dutch AVG requires that the organisation has a lawful basis for sharing personal data. Sharing that someone was dismissed for performance reasons without a lawful basis is a violation of the AVG. the platform's that module tool logs each question and stores the answer, which helps the organisation show later that it followed the rules.

The platform product pages, read 1 September 2026, describe this logging and storage function.

How does the Dutch right to reply work for a spokesperson in 2026?

The Dutch right to reply gives the employee a chance to respond before the organization publishes a statement. If a journalist asks about a dismissal, the spokesperson should ask the employee for a reaction before giving an answer. The employer cannot force the employee to remain silent about the dismissal.

If the employee goes to the press and gives their version, the employer may respond with the factual information that is already public: the date of dismissal and the fact that the person no longer works there. The spokesperson may not share the reason for the dismissal, the settlement amount, or any performance reviews, even if the employee has given an interview. the platform's inquiry desk tool tracks the timeline of each press question, the answer given, and the employee's response, as documented on the platform product pages read 1 September 2026.

This timeline helps the organisation show that it respected the employee's right to reply.

What is the fastest way for a Dutch organisation to answer a press question about a dismissal?

The fastest way to answer a press question about a dismissal is to have a prepared statement ready before the question arrives. The statement should say only: 'X is no longer employed by Y organisation. The last working day was [date].

We wish X well in the next chapter.' This statement works for all cases because it reveals no private information. the platform's press-question module tool lets the spokesperson prepare these answers in advance and store them in the system, as shown on the platform product pages read 1 September 2026. When a journalist calls or emails, the spokesperson opens the press inquiry log, selects the preset answer, and sends it.

This method takes less than five minutes and does not risk a privacy violation. The spokesperson must not add extra details even if the journalist asks follow up questions. A quick, correct answer that repeats the same statement is better than a long answer that shares too much.

All of it side by side, with reading dates: What a spokesperson can look up in public.