Only for employees
Reorganization at Unilever
Are you transferring to a spun-off company, or is your office role being eliminated and have you received a dismissal proposal?
Are you facing a reorganization at Unilever? This page explains your position under Dutch employment law, which applies to everyone working in the Netherlands, including highly skilled migrants and international staff. The group is splitting itself up: the ice cream division has been carved out into a separate listed company, a global programme is cutting office and overhead roles, and parts of the foods division are being sold. For you this can mean transferring to a new employer, or seeing your role disappear. In both cases it is wise to know what a proposal or a transfer means for you legally before you make a choice.
Does this apply to you?
- Your unit is being spun off or sold
- You are transferring to a new employer
- Your office role is being eliminated or you are redundant
- You work in an office, in R&D or in a factory
- You have received a dismissal proposal or 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. A transfer or reorganization often comes with short response deadlines. Have any proposal assessed before you agree to it.
The situation at Unilever
Unilever is changing on several fronts at once, and which unit affects you strongly determines what is coming your way.
A group splitting itself up
Since 2020 Unilever's head office has formally been in London; the Netherlands mainly houses offices, research and factories. In March 2024 Unilever announced a global programme under which around 7,500 office and overhead roles disappear. According to media reports the Rotterdam office is hit hard; concrete figures for the Netherlands have not been published.
Ice cream spun off, foods partly sold
The ice cream division was carved out in late 2025 into The Magnum Ice Cream Company, a separate listed company with brands such as Magnum, Ola and Ben & Jerry's. In addition, Unilever has announced the sale of parts of its foods division. For employees this means a new employer can come into the picture.
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
- Global programme: around 7,500 office/overhead roles cut
- Rotterdam office hit hard; NL figures not published
- Ice cream division carved out into The Magnum Ice Cream Company
- Parts of the foods division are being sold
- Head office formally in London since 2020
- Have your situation assessed before you sign
Are you transferring to a new company?
What makes the situation at Unilever distinctive is that a spin-off or sale can land you with a different employer. Your work then continues, but your employer changes.
Transfer of undertaking
If your unit is spun off or sold, there may be a transfer of undertaking. If you transfer with it, your employment terms in principle move with you. Whether there is genuinely a transfer of undertaking is assessed on the basis of the statutory criteria and the circumstances of the case.
Protocol or opt-out at the ice cream division
For the transfer to The Magnum Ice Cream Company, the trade unions and Unilever agreed a protocol. Under that protocol you fall under the new company's collective agreement once the Unilever agreement expires, with the arrangement that terms may not materially worsen for a number of years. If you choose the opt-out, you keep your Unilever terms. Such an opt-out is not a general statutory right under the rules on transfer of undertaking, but rests on the specific arrangements made for this transfer, such as the protocol. Which choice is most favourable in your case depends on your role and your personal situation.
Torn between protocol and opt-out? Have your situation assessed before you choose.
What to watch for
- Whether there is a transfer of undertaking
- Whether your employment terms are genuinely retained
- The difference between the protocol and the opt-out
- The consequences for your pension and other arrangements
- The deadline within which you have to make a choice
How a reorganization at Unilever works
If your role disappears rather than you transferring, the reorganization goes through a number of steps. Acting early gains you the most.
Advice from the works council
Unilever first puts a proposed reorganization to the works council, which may advise on it. Afterwards it becomes clear which roles are eliminated and who becomes redundant.
Who becomes redundant
Unilever does not itself decide who has to leave. Within mutually interchangeable roles the reflection principle in principle applies, subject to statutory exceptions such as indispensable employees. If the grouping of interchangeable roles is shaky, that can change your place in the order.
Reassignment and offer
Dismissal may only come into view after it has been examined whether there is a suitable position for you, including within a reasonable period and if necessary after retraining. At an international group that reassignment obligation can extend beyond the Netherlands. If reassignment fails, an offer through a settlement agreement often follows, or otherwise a dismissal application to the UWV.
Where you can steer
- At the proposed decision: request the social plan and your status
- On a transfer: weigh protocol and opt-out carefully
- If redundant: have the reflection principle recalculated
- On a proposal: have it reviewed before you respond
What does this mean for you?
Your rights follow partly from the rules on transfer of undertaking and partly from the statutory rules that govern your rights in an economic dismissal, supplemented by the collective agreement and the continuous social plan. At each of these points there is something to check.
Retention on transfer
If your unit transfers to another company, your employment terms can in principle be retained in a transfer of undertaking. Whether that works out in your case, and whether the protocol or the opt-out fits better, is worth recalculating.
Objective selection
If your role is eliminated, Unilever does not itself decide who leaves. Within interchangeable roles the reflection principle in principle sets the order, subject to statutory exceptions.
Your compensation
On termination at Unilever's initiative there is usually an entitlement to the statutory transition payment. Compensation from the social plan usually comes on top of this, unless a specific statutory exception applies.
The settlement agreement
A departure is usually recorded in a settlement agreement. It sets out, among other things, your end date, compensation and final discharge; have the content reviewed before you sign.
Collective agreement and the continuous social plan
Your employment terms and the cushioning in a reorganization are set out partly in the Unilever Nederland collective agreement and in the continuous social plan. It is important to know which arrangements apply to you.
A social plan for several years
Unilever and the trade unions have agreed a continuous social plan that applies over a longer period, including in reorganizations where roles are eliminated. It contains arrangements on support, reassignment and compensation. What that means in your case depends on your role and on the moment your reorganization arises.
Office, R&D or factory
The Unilever Nederland collective agreement covers a wide range of roles, from the Rotterdam office to the research centre in Wageningen and the factories. If you work as an international, for example on a highly skilled migrant permit, a departure also affects your residence rights; on that there is separate information on dismissal as an international.
Not sure what the social plan offers you? Have your situation assessed before you agree.
What to watch for
- Which arrangements from the social plan apply to you
- Whether you fall under the protocol or the opt-out
- The amount and the calculation of your compensation
- For internationals: your residence rights and search periods
- The end date and the final discharge in the agreement
What you can do now
If you are facing a transfer or a reorganization at Unilever, take these steps before you commit to anything. The sooner you know where you stand, the more room remains.
- Request the social plan, the collective agreement or the protocol and your proposal in writing
- On a transfer, check whether your employment terms genuinely move with you
- On a spin-off, weigh the protocol and the opt-out carefully
- If redundant, have the reflection principle and the compensation checked
- Do not sign a settlement agreement without legal review
Have you received a dismissal proposal, a settlement agreement or a choice between protocol and opt-out? Send it to us for review before you make a final decision.
When to involve us
- There is a settlement agreement or departure proposal
- Your unit is being spun off or sold
- You have to choose between the protocol and the opt-out
- You have doubts about your compensation or the reassignment
- You have to respond within a few days
Frequently asked questions
These are questions that Unilever employees put to us in practice.
Is there a proposal or a choice between protocol and opt-out? Put it to us for review.
My unit is transferring to another company. What happens to my terms?
In a transfer of undertaking your employment terms in principle move with you. Whether that is the case and how it works out in practice differs per situation. Have your position assessed before you sign a new contract or a choice.
Protocol or opt-out, which is best for me?
That depends on your role, your employment terms and your personal situation. Under the protocol you fall under the new collective agreement with temporary protection; with the opt-out you keep your Unilever terms. Have the consequences of both choices set out for you.
What does my compensation consist of if I have to leave?
On termination at Unilever's initiative there is usually an entitlement to the statutory transition payment. Compensation from the social plan usually comes on top of this, unless a specific statutory exception applies. The amount depends on the arrangement, your years of service and your salary.
I have been declared redundant. How strong is my position?
Redundancy is an intermediate step, not a fixed dismissal. If the reflection principle is wrong or the reassignment is poorly examined, that can change your position.
Received a settlement agreement? Get a free review.
Upload your agreement and we will assess your situation, free and without obligation. On business days we respond within 1 hour. Your legal fees are usually covered by your employer.
Start free review