It’s hard for employers and employees to know what to do or what they are expected in regard to health and safety, covid and employer rights. There are also many other questions to be considered, such as what are an employer’s compliance obligations, and how leave, benefit and sick policies apply and if they should be temporarily changed and how in the Netherlands.
UPDATE: July 1, 2022
- The Employer has to inform the employee on these basic hygiene measures applying to all viruses that can cause the flu and colds.
- The Employer is responsible for providing information on company regulations, health & safety to ensure a safe working environment.
- The Employer should inform employees on possible company travel bans/ travel policy restrictions. Please find the government website in Dutch to find travel advice per country.
- The employer is not obliged to buy face masks for employees. The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) only advises medical personnel to wear medical-grade face masks.
- The Employee has to follow the company Sick Leave Policy for reporting illness and report being recovered.
- Employees will have to follow the company Working from Home (WFH) policy. In case the company does not have yet a policy in place, please contact us.
- The Employee, who has been in physical contact with someone diagnosed with the Coronavirus, and the employee who has recently returned from abroad and/or experiencing symptoms, should remain at home.
- In case the Employee is ill during a holiday (in The Netherlands or abroad), the days of illness will be registered as Sick Leave and not as Holiday Leave / Time-off. The days the employee was not ill during his holiday will be registered as Holiday Leave.
- As the schools are closing and child support is needed, the employee is entitled to get paid these wages and arrange childcare elsewhere. Please refer also to the mandatory Leaves of Absence types, such as calamity leave, short term care leave, etc., to validate which type of leaves of absence is applicable.
Read more here COVID-19: Long Term Impact Coronavirus – HR Guide. In this article we will deep dive into activities and risks to consider for HR and government support for entrepreneurs.
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Sick Leave Netherlands
The law sets all sorts of obligations for both the employee and the Employer to facilitate as much as possible the speedy recovery of the Employee. The purpose of the Sick Leave Regulation/ Protocol is to provide guidelines, expectations and obligations, during Sickness Absence, for Employer and Employees in accordance with the Permanent Incapacity Benefit (Restrictions) Act.
Each company in the Netherlands is obliged to have a Sickness Absence Policy outlining the expectations and obligations of Employer and Employee during Sickness Absence, in accordance with the Permanent Incapacity Benefit (Restrictions) Act.
Request a tailor-made Sick Leave Policy
Contact us to make sure your company is compliant and request the Sick Leave Regulation/Protocol. The documentation will consist of:
- 17 pages incl. policy, process and instructions in English (or Dutch)
- Explanatory of parties involved in the process
- Reporting Sick Leave, return and partly return from Sick Leave
- Sick pay policy and payroll process
- Mandatory steps for Employer and Employee
- Glossary of Terms
Read more on how to get a tailored Sick Leave policy for your company ›
