After reporting sick on 24 October 2006, on 11 September 2007 Mr Salemink applied for incapacity benefit pursuant to the Netherlands Law on work and income according to capacity for work, as from 24 October 2008.

In the list of the highly ranked skills, team working skills (67%) are followed by sector-specific skills, communication skills, computer skills, being able to adapt to new situations, ability in reading/writing and analytical and problem-solving skills.

The committee takes into account general competency in the law, intellectual ability, analytical skills, ability to listen, ability to maintain an open mind while hearing all sides of an argument, ability to make decisions, capacity to exercise sound judgment, reputation among professional peers and in the general community, areas of professional specialization, specialized experience or special skills, ability to manage time and workload without supervision, capacity to handle heavy workload, capacity to handle stress and pressures of the isolation of the judicial role, interpersonal skills with peers and the general public, awareness o ...[+++]f racial and gender issues, and bilingual ability (1545) [English] I'll point out some of the main potential impediments to appointment. These would be any debilitating physical or mental condition, including drug or alcohol dependency, that would likely impair the candidate's ability to perform the duties of a judge; any past or current disciplinary actions or matters against the candidate; any current or past civil or criminal actions involving the candidate; financial difficulties, including bankruptcy, tax arrears, or arrears of child support payments—and that's about it.

The merit based criteria, which are set forth in the formula for the application form for candidates, include general proficiency in the law, intellectual ability, analytical skills, ability to listen, ability to maintain an open mind, ability to make decisions, capacity to exercise sound judgment, reputation among professional peers and the general community, capacity to handle heavy workloads, capacity to handle stress and pressures of the isolation of the judicial role, awareness of racial and gender issues, bilingual ability and such personal characteristics as sense of ethics, patience, courtesy, honesty, common sense, tact, integri ...[+++]ty, humility, fairness, reliability, tolerance, sense of responsibility and consideration for others.

- in addition, it is important to develop a policy for active ageing, encompassing appropriate measures such as maintaining working capacity, lifelong learning and other flexible working arrangements, so that older workers are also able to remain and participate actively in working life.

4. will review and, where appropriate, refocus its benefit and tax system to provide incentives for unemployed or inactive people to seek and take up work or measures to enhance their employability and for employers to create new jobs, and to develop a policy for active ageing, encompassing appropriate measures such as maintaining working capacity, lifelong learning and other flexible working arrangements, so that older workers are also able to remain and participate actively in working life.