Leave in the Netherlands

Other leave in the Netherlands

Personal leave

Although not regulated by Dutch law, it’s common for employers to allow employees to take short stints of personal special leave for life situations like a wedding, marriage, or moving. 

Sick leave

Sick employees are entitled to 70% of their wages for sick pay up to 2 years, which the employer is required to pay. Employers commonly choose to cover 100% of an employee’s salary while they are on sick leave. 

Employers must inform the Occupational Health and Safety Service of an employee's absence due to illness. Employers are unable to determine whether the employee's sickness truly makes them incapable of performing work activities. Instead, they will need to wait for an evaluation by the Occupational Health and Safety Service. If the employer or the employee do not agree to the evaluation, they can apply for an expert opinion from the UWV (Employment Insurance Agency) or a second opinion with another company doctor.

UWV needs to be notified of an employee's absence due to illness if it lasts longer than 42 weeks. Both sides have obligations that follow from the Gatekeeper Improvement Law. If the employer fails to fulfill theirs, the UWV may impose a sanction or fine on them.

If an employee is injured in a work-related accident, they are entitled to 2 years of paid leave. 

Employees are required by law to report any work-related injuries and accidents to a workers compensation inspector. Employers must report all accidents that forces employees to be off for more than 3 sick days. 

Emergency leave

Emergency leave is only intended in last minute cases, such as the death of a family member or to take care of a critically ill family member. This type of leave is meant to be given with no notice and employers must give reasonable accommodation. 

Short-term leave

Employees are entitled to 2 weeks of short-term leave for annually, paid at 70% of their salary. 

This leave is intended for:

• A sick child living with the employee who is either related to them or is under their foster care

• A spouse or registered partner’s sick child that lives with them

• The employee's ill spouse or partner

• A sick family member (other than a child) in the first ascending or descending line

Long-term care leave

Long-term care leave is for unforeseen personal circumstances like when a child, parent, or partner of an employee is injured or ill. Under this leave, employers are not required to continue paying the employee’s salary while they take care of their family member. 

Maternity leave

New mothers are entitled to 16 weeks of leave. Employees must take this leave at least 4-6 weeks prior to the birth of the child. Maternity leave is paid at 100% of the regular wages (maximum of $216.28 EURO per day) for the entire 16 weeks, covered by the Dutch Social Security system or reimbursed to the employer. 

After 6 weeks, new mothers can choose to split their maternity leave and return to office. They can take 30 consecutive weeks of maternity leave. 

Employers may not require their employees to use their holiday leave as part of their maternity leave, which will continue to accumulate during this period. 

Paternity leave

New fathers or same-sex partners who are expecting a child are entitled to 5 days of paid paternity leave that must be taken within 4 weeks of the birth of a child. 

Fathers may also take up to 5 additional weeks of unpaid leave within the first 6 months of birth. They can file to be reimbursed for up to 70% through the Employment Insurance Agency. 

Adoption leave

Parents adopting a child are entitled to 6 weeks of paid adoption leave. This leave can be taken up to 4 weeks prior to adoption and up to 26 weeks after adoption. 

Women are able to have 6 weeks of leave and fathers are allowed 5 days of leave after the adoption.

Parental leave

All parents are entitled to 26 weeks of parental leave, which is partially paid by the government (70% of the salary). This leave should be taken within the first year of the child's birth. The remaining unpaid weeks can be taken before the child turns 8.