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Mediator
Specialised in employment law and business disputes
Dutch- and English-speaking
Trainer and lecturer in employment law
Active throughout the Netherlands
Employment law expert: Specialist in employee participation and collective labour agreements.
Solution-oriented mediator: Extensive experience in business and employment disputes.
Neutral facilitator: Restores communication and working relationships.
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Maruca Overdijk is an experienced employment lawyer, adviser, negotiator and mediator. With her down-to-earth and pragmatic approach, she helps organisations resolve employment law and organisational issues.
After studying law in Leiden, she began her career as a lawyer in Amsterdam. Since 1991, she has worked at Boels Zanders, where she has been a partner since 2001. She advises companies and foundations on strategic changes, reorganisations and employee participation. She is also a specialist in collective labour agreement (CLA) matters and supports international clients with employment law issues.
In addition to her work as a lawyer, Maruca is active as a lecturer in employment law and has held board positions at various associations and foundations. She is a co-founder of the Dutch Employment Lawyers Association (VAAN) and a member of the Healthcare sector team at Boels Zanders.
Since 2007, Maruca has been an MfN Registered Mediator. As a mediator, she assists directors, supervisory boards and individual employees in conflict situations. Her focus is on restoring communication and finding constructive solutions.
“People interest and fascinate me. What they do, what drives them, and how they interact with one another. In working relationships, conflicts sometimes arise because people react differently or simply do not understand each other.
As an employment lawyer, I spent many years helping companies and employees resolve employment disputes. Not through the courts, but by bringing parties together in conversation. In practice, it often turns out that miscommunication and disappointed expectations lie at the heart of the problem.
As a mediator, I help people start the conversation again, sometimes together, sometimes separately at first. I guide them as a neutral facilitator, enabling them to express their views and truly listen to one another. Once communication has been restored, positive energy often returns. In that flow, the parties themselves come up with constructive solutions to resolve the conflict and look ahead with an open mind.
I then ensure that the agreements reached are properly documented, so that both parties know exactly where they stand.”
2021-heden
Mediator at Result ADR
2006-2007
Mediator Training, Centre for Conflict Resolution, Haarlem
1991
Lawyer and Partner at Boels Zanders
1987-1991
Lawyer at Van Doorne, Amsterdam
“I appreciated being able to tell my story. Maruca summarised everything well. Your clarifying questions helped us get to the heart of the matter. You guided the conversation in a pleasant and well-structured way.”
Works council vs. company: Mediation in a dispute concerning confidentiality and standards of conduct.
Summary dismissal: Mediation to support an employee in returning to work after a dismissal that was overturned by the court.
Construction sector: Mediation between a contractor and a business owner regarding the completion of a commercial building.
Educational institution: Guidance in resolving strained relationships within the management team.
Every conflict is different, and we are happy to help you make the right choices. Interested in getting to know us? We would be pleased to arrange a personal meeting or a video call.
