What to do when an employee is sick: day-to-day, during a scheduled holiday, or long-term, and the statutory Wet Verbetering Poortwachter process.
Short-term sick leave (non-statutory)
This section is Moral Fabric's suggestion for everyday sickness, not a legal requirement, unlike the two sections below.
If symptoms are mild, working from home is suggested, to protect others, along with updating the relevant Slack status so the team knows not to expect full availability that day. Updating relevant comms channels also helps the rest of the team know the employee is away.
Employees are not required to share the nature of their sickness with anyone, including their team lead or the person handling health and sickness. If an employee chooses to share it, that information isn't shared further without consent.
Occupational health provider or Arbodienst (statutory)
Dutch law requires every employer to have a contracted occupational health provider (arbodienst) to support compliance and help manage sick leave, both short- and long-term.
Most arbodienst providers have their own platforms and require even short-term sick days to be logged there, to ensure compliance. This isn't just to register who gets sick and when, but also to update once the employee is feeling better and back to work.
Who's covered by this?
This arbodienst arrangement covers everyone on Dutch payroll. It doesn't cover interns whose internship is arranged through a school or university (the institution is responsible for them), or contractors and freelancers.
Privacy
Only the person handling health and sickness can access the arbodienst's portal, employees don't need to log in themselves. Medical notes from the company doctor are shared only as legally required.
Sick while on holiday (statutory)
By Dutch law (art. 7:638(8) BW), if an employee becomes sick during a scheduled holiday, those days count as sick leave rather than vacation, unless the employee agrees otherwise. Agreeing otherwise is only ever possible for non-statutory days, never for the statutory 20 days.
To use this right, the employee reports the illness to their team lead and the person handling health and sickness as soon as possible, and follows the usual short-term sick leave procedure above.
Proof of the illness may be requested, especially if the employee was abroad. A doctor's statement is the most common form of proof.
Since the days convert to sick leave rather than vacation, they remain available to use again later, they're not lost.
Long-term sick leave (statutory)
If sickness continues for 2 or more weeks, Dutch law (Wet verbetering poortwachter) requires the employer and employee to follow a structured reintegration process. Missing a deadline can lead UWV to extend the employer's salary continuation obligation by up to 52 extra weeks (a "loonsanctie"), so both sides are expected to cooperate throughout.
The timeline
Week 1 : the employee reports sick; the employer notifies the arbodienst.
By week 6 : the company doctor prepares a problem analysis (probleemanalyse), covering the nature of the limitations and the expected recovery.
By week 8 : based on that analysis, the employer and employee jointly draw up a plan of action (plan van aanpak).
Every 6 weeks or so : progress evaluations with the company doctor, the plan gets adjusted as needed.
Week 42 : the employer must report the long-term sickness to UWV.
Month 12 (around week 52) : a first-year evaluation (eerstejaarsevaluatie) reviews progress and adjusts the plan. If reintegration within the company isn't working, a second, external track can start.
Month 20 (around week 87) : if reintegration still hasn't succeeded, the employer requests reintegration advice from UWV.
Month 21 (around week 91-93) : if the employee is still unable to work, they submit a WIA application, including a reintegration report made up of the problem analysis, the plan of action and its adjustments, the first-year evaluation, and the company doctor's current assessment.
Week 104 : the 2-year mark. UWV reviews the full file (the "gatekeeper test") and decides on WIA benefits.
Throughout these 2 years, the employer must continue paying at least 70% of the employee's salary (many CAOs top this up, often to 100% in year 1).
Missing a deadline, or not documenting reintegration efforts properly, can lead UWV to extend the salary continuation obligation, sometimes by up to a full extra year.
Werkhervattingskas (WHK)
The Werkhervattingskas (WHK) is a mandatory employer insurance in the Netherlands that helps cover costs for employees unable to work due to illness or disability. Employers contribute through payroll taxes, with rates based on claim history and company size. It covers sickness benefits (Ziektewet, ZW) for former employees or temporary staff, and disability insurance (WGA) for employees partially or temporarily unable to work.
Privacy and documentation
All sick leave details are handled confidentially. The employer must adhere to the Wet Verbetering Poortwachter requirements throughout the process.