Checking in bikes and building LEGO

Do you ever park your bike at the U-stall in the center of Delft? Chances are you’ll run into John Buijs, the 'LEGO man,' as he is called by regular customers. He is 66 years old and took early retirement 7 years ago. He didn't like sitting at home, but finding a new job proved difficult. Werkse! helped him get a job at the U-stal bicycle parking facility in the center of Delft.

“Is everything going well?” John Buijs asks his job coach Rodger Abdoellakhan, who is taking over John’s work during the interview. John has just given him a crash course in checking in bicycles and can tell by the beeping of the scanning device whether Rodger is doing a good job. He has been working at U-stal for a year and a half now, something very different from his previous job. “I worked as an electrician for almost 40 years, but I took early retirement on my own initiative. The work became physically too demanding. I have osteoarthritis and worn-out knees. After being at home for a while, I wanted to make myself useful again. However, with my physical ailments, I was unable to find a regular job.”

Indication of job agreement.
John volunteered at the thrift store for a while, where he repaired electrical appliances. “That was fun, but I was looking for more stability. Then I joined Werkse! knocked on their door. They advised me to apply for a Job Agreement indication from the UWV. With this, you declare that you cannot find a regular job—in my case, due to my knees and my back—and an employer receives a subsidy to hire you. Then I suddenly had many more options.”

The job at U-stal came along by chance. “It is something totally different from being an electrician, but I am really enjoying it. I am from Delft and now I am right in the middle of Delft. I run into all kinds of people, like the mayor, but also old acquaintances, such as a cousin and a school friend from 40 years ago. I like the contact with people the most.”

LEGO during quiet moments
John handles checking the bikes in and out alone. “I sometimes have a brief chat with a colleague when we change shifts, but otherwise not. There are busy periods, like Saturdays and Sundays, but Monday mornings, for example, are very quiet. Then I sit at my desk, on a special chair that Werkse! has arranged it, and I go do some crafting. Or I build something beautiful out of LEGO. That’s why regular customers call me the 'LEGO guy'."

Keep busy
In August, John turns 67, the 'real' retirement age. “That means the Job Agreement indication no longer applies to me, and also that U-stal can no longer keep me employed. That is a shame, but I can still continue working on call. That is what I am going to do. And I have applied to the Delft City Shuttle, driving tourists through Delft in a tuk-tuk. That is voluntary, but it is not about the money for me. I just want to keep busy.”