TNO Expert Centre for Heavy Work: New Q&A’s and first progress report
Publication date: 24 July 2026
TNO has published additional guidance for collective bargaining parties preparing an RVU arrangement under the RVU exemption threshold. On the website of its Expert Centre for Heavy Work, four new questions and answers have been added. In addition, TNO has published the first progress report of the Expert Centre for Heavy Work, providing insight into the initial experiences with the validation desk and the launch of the knowledge program.
New guidance
Through its Q&A section, the Expert Centre for Heavy Work addresses several practical questions that have arisen during the first months following the opening of the validation desk.
In particular, the guidance on the creation of job clusters is relevant. TNO confirms that multiple comparable positions may be included in a single cluster, if they involve similar risks, a similar nature of workload, or a comparable demanding work environment. An objective cluster description should clearly identify the shared characteristics of the functions concerned. Notably, TNO indicates that a cluster will typically consist of five to ten functions, although deviations from this range are possible.
TNO also provides additional clarification regarding job variants. Where the same position may be performed in different ways, social partners are advised to assess the most demanding variant and substantiate the specific work-related characteristics involved. It is then up to individual employers to determine which variant of the position exists within their organization.
Furthermore, TNO clarifies that both substantive and practical questions regarding an application may be submitted to the Expert Centre for Heavy Work.
Finally, TNO explains why additional information requested during the validation process does not automatically form part of the final opinion. If essential information is missing, TNO may request supplementary data. Where such information is unavailable or can only be obtained with considerable effort, validation may still be completed based on the information initially submitted. In such cases, the application will receive the status of "not fully validated".
Initial experiences with the validation desk
Alongside the new Q&A’s, TNO has also published the first progress report of the Expert Centre for Heavy Work. As the Expert Centre only commenced operations on 1 April 2026, the report is relatively brief and focuses on initial experiences.
The report shows that, as of 28 April 2026, a total of 34 pre-applications had been received. Of these applicants, nine indicated that they would use their own methodology for assessing job weight, six opted for the methodology developed by TNO, and seven intended to combine both methodologies. The remaining applicants had either not yet decided or had not answered the question. In addition, most applicants expected to include fewer than twenty functions, job groups, or clusters in their validation request.
As of 28 April, three validation applications had been formally submitted. One validation had already been completed. According to TNO, this application was well substantiated, and it could be demonstrated for all relevant positions that a health risk was present. The remaining two applications were still under review at the time of reporting, with additional information having been requested to ensure a thorough assessment.
Knowledge programme
The progress report also offers a first glimpse into the knowledge programme of the Expert Centre for Heavy Work. It shows that approximately 13,800 employees made use of an RVU arrangement in 2025. In addition, TNO is conducting several studies concerning heavy work and sustainable employability.
Key practical takeaways
The recent publications demonstrate that substantiating job clusters and job weight remains a key focus area within the validation process. Collective bargaining parties would therefore be well advised to carefully consider these aspects in advance. Thorough preparation can contribute to a more efficient validation process and reduce the likelihood of requests for additional information.
