Only for employees
Reorganization at Achmea
Has Achmea announced that your position is being eliminated, or have you received a dismissal proposal or departure arrangement?
Are you facing a reorganization at Achmea? The insurer is merging the distribution of brands such as Centraal Beheer, Interpolis and Zilveren Kruis and is investing heavily in digitalisation and AI. Even a cooperative without shareholders reorganizes, and this mainly affects commercial and office roles. Before you sign, it is wise to know your rights and whether the arrangement on offer does justice to your situation.
Does this apply to you?
- Your position is being eliminated or your department is being merged
- You have been declared redundant
- You have received a dismissal proposal or departure arrangement
- You work in distribution, marketing, communication or product development
- You have received a settlement agreement
Why employees turn to ReorgLegal
ReorgLegal specialises in reorganizations and works solely for employees, never for employers. We assess your proposal and stand beside you.
Do not wait too long. Reorganizations often come with short response deadlines. Have any proposal assessed before you agree to it.
The situation at Achmea
In May 2026 Achmea announced a reorganization in which the distribution organizations of several brands are merged into a single new division.
Which roles it affects
The merger involves, among others, the distribution of Centraal Beheer, Interpolis, Zilveren Kruis and Achmea DIM. According to the announcement, around 350 positions disappear on balance, while a larger group of employees is affected by the change. It mainly concerns roles in product development, distribution, communication and marketing.
Digitalisation and AI as the reason
As the reason Achmea cites reducing overlap between teams, further automation and the use of AI. Whether the reorganization leads to forced redundancies is not yet certain; Achmea is also looking at natural attrition, a hiring freeze and the flexible pool.
The figures and arrangements around a reorganization can change. This page was last updated in July 2026; the facts shown apply as far as known at that time.
In short
- The distribution of the brands is merged into one division
- Around 350 positions disappear on balance, from early 2027
- Mainly product development, distribution, communication and marketing
- Reason: less overlap, automation and AI
- Forced redundancies not yet certain; also natural attrition and the flexible pool
- Have your situation assessed before you sign
Is your position affected?
When departments are merged, the first question is whether your role returns in the new organization, and if not, what your position is then.
Redundant does not immediately mean dismissal
Because Achmea is also relying on natural attrition, a hiring freeze and the flexible pool, the elimination of your position does not necessarily mean your dismissal is final. Often a period of reassignment and support comes first.
The hiring freeze cuts both ways
A hiring freeze at the same time limits the number of internal positions to which you can be reassigned. That can make the options for internal reassignment more limited. It is precisely then that it is important to have your position and the terms properly assessed.
Does your role fall within the reorganization? Have your situation assessed before you agree.
What to watch for
- Whether your role returns in the new division
- Whether the definition of interchangeable positions is correct
- Your chances of internal reassignment during a hiring freeze
- Whether an offered role is genuinely suitable
- The terms of a departure proposal
The reorganization step by step
A reorganization at an insurer like Achmea always follows a fixed route: from the question of which positions disappear to a possible departure. At each intermediate step there are things you can check or have reviewed.
Which positions disappear and the reflection principle
Achmea first maps out which positions in the merged distribution division disappear and which positions are mutually interchangeable. Who becomes redundant within such a group is not Achmea's free choice: in principle the reflection principle designates the order, subject to the statutory exceptions to it.
Reassignment and support
Being redundant is an intermediate step, not a settled dismissal. Before a departure is at issue, Achmea must investigate whether a suitable position is available for you, if necessary within a reasonable period and after retraining. The social plan supplements this with job-to-job support, usually through a mobility programme.
An offer or a procedure
If the reassignment investigation yields nothing, Achmea usually puts forward a departure through a settlement agreement, or otherwise files a dismissal application with the UWV. In both cases it pays to have the documents calmly reviewed first before you put your signature to anything.
At every step there is something you can do
- As soon as the plans are known: request the social plan and your own status in writing
- If you become redundant: have the application of the reflection principle and the selection recalculated
- If you are offered another role: check whether it is genuinely suitable
- If an arrangement is on the table: do not sign without independent review
What does this mean for you?
A reorganization at Achmea follows the statutory rules for economic dismissal, supplemented by the collective agreement and the social plan. You have rights at each of these points.
Selection by the rules
In deciding who becomes redundant, Achmea is bound by fixed rules. Within interchangeable positions the reflection principle applies in principle, subject to the statutory exceptions. If the grouping of positions or the application of the order is incorrect, that can work in your favour.
A suitable position first
Dismissal may only come into view after Achmea has seriously investigated whether there is a suitable position for you, if necessary after retraining and within a reasonable period. The mobility programme helps with this. If that investigation is skipped, a dismissal often does not hold up before the court or the UWV.
Your compensation
If your employment ends on Achmea's initiative and reassignment does not succeed, you are usually entitled to the statutory transition payment, unless the social plan or the applicable arrangement provides a different or additional compensation. Have it recalculated whether the amount matches your years of service and salary.
The settlement agreement
A departure from Achmea is almost always recorded in a settlement agreement. Its content determines, among other things, your end date, your compensation and your unemployment benefit rights; have it assessed first before you sign.
Social plan and collective agreement in flux
Around the reorganization, Achmea's social plan and collective agreement are very much in motion. That makes it all the more important to know which arrangements apply to you.
A new social plan under negotiation
The existing social plan ran until mid-2026. Achmea and the trade unions are negotiating a follow-up. According to the unions the main lines are largely maintained, but pension compensation on departure is an important point of discussion. The timing of your departure can therefore have consequences for any pension arrangements or compensation schemes.
Differing union positions
The collective agreement for 2025 to 2027 was concluded with De Unie, while FNV and CNV have been critical of it. For you this means that positions diverge and that an independent assessment of your own arrangement can be valuable.
Not sure what the social plan offers you? Have your situation assessed before you agree.
What to watch for
- Which version of the social plan applies to you
- The length of the support and the mobility programme
- The amount and the calculation of your compensation
- The pension compensation and the timing of your departure
- The end date and the final discharge in the agreement
What you can do now
If you are affected by the reorganization at Achmea, take the steps below before you commit to anything. The sooner you know where you stand, the more options remain open.
- Request the social plan, the collective agreement and your personal proposal in writing
- Have it checked whether the reflection principle and the selection have been applied correctly
- Weigh up whether an offered role genuinely suits you
- Keep an eye on the pension compensation and the moment of your departure
- Do not put your signature to a settlement agreement before it has been reviewed
Is there a dismissal proposal or a settlement agreement from Achmea on the table? Put it before us for review before you make a final decision.
When is it wise to consult us?
- There is a settlement agreement on the table
- Your position is disappearing or your department is being absorbed into the new division
- You have doubts about your compensation or about the reassignment
- You want to know what the moment of departure does to your pension
- You have only a few days left to respond
Frequently asked questions
These are questions Achmea staff bring to us in practice.
Is there a dismissal proposal or a settlement agreement on your desk? Put it before us for review.
Will there be forced redundancies?
That is not yet certain. Achmea is also looking at natural attrition, a hiring freeze and the flexible pool. That does not alter the fact that it is wise to have an offered arrangement assessed, because the terms determine what you receive.
Will I receive compensation?
If your employment ends on Achmea's initiative and reassignment has not succeeded, you are usually entitled to the statutory transition payment, unless the social plan or the applicable arrangement offers something different or additional. What you ultimately receive depends on that arrangement and on your years of service and salary.
Does the timing of my departure matter?
It can, if the applicable arrangement or the social plan affects it. Around the pension compensation and the transition to a new social plan, the moment of departure can have consequences. Have this worked out for your situation before you sign.
What if I am declared redundant?
Being redundant is an intermediate step, not a settled dismissal. If the reflection principle has been applied incorrectly or the reassignment investigation has been too thin, that can strengthen your position.
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