Healthcare

Sick leave in the Netherlands: your rights and your employer's obligations

Q: Can I be fired while I am off sick?

Generally no. The opzegverbod tijdens ziekte prohibits dismissal on the grounds of illness for up to two years, and notice issued during sick leave is void. Narrow exceptions exist — for example if the company closes entirely, or if you refuse to co-operate with reintegration without good reason. On a fixed-term contract the protection runs only to the end of the contract.

4 min read · Last updated June 2026

By the Expat in Holland editorial team · Reviewed June 2026 against official sources

Being ill is unavoidable, and understanding what to do when it happens — and what your employer is legally required to do — can make an already difficult period considerably less stressful. Dutch employment law offers some of the strongest sick leave protections in Europe, but the system comes with specific rules, timelines, and obligations that every expat employee should know before they need them.

Calling in sick: what you must do on day one

In the Netherlands, you are required to notify your employer of your illness as soon as possible on the first day of absence — typically before your normal start time. This notification is known as a ziekmelding. Most employers specify the preferred method: a telephone call to your direct manager is standard, and many employers explicitly do not accept a text message or email as a first contact. Your employer may ask you to state your expected duration of absence and a contact number, but that is all they are legally permitted to request. You are not required to name or describe your illness, and under Dutch privacy law — the Wet bescherming persoonsgegevens and the European GDPR — your employer is not allowed to record your diagnosis.

How much you are paid during sick leave

Dutch law guarantees a minimum of 70 per cent of your last-earned wage for up to two years of illness, though during the first year this 70 per cent must be at least equal to the statutory minimum wage (minimumloon). In practice, many collective labour agreements (CAO) are more generous: it is common for the first year of illness to be paid at 100 per cent and the second year at 70 per cent, though this depends on your sector and your individual employment contract. If your contract is silent on the matter and no CAO applies, the statutory minimum of 70 per cent applies from day one. There is no waiting period — unlike some countries, Dutch law does not allow employers to impose unpaid days at the start of a sick period.

Your right to privacy

One of the most significant protections in the Dutch system is the strict separation between your employer and your medical information. Your employer cannot ask what is wrong with you, cannot require you to provide a doctor's note as a condition of continued pay, and cannot record your diagnosis in any company system. When a company doctor (bedrijfsarts) becomes involved — which typically happens around the sixth week of illness — that doctor works independently and communicates with your employer only in terms of what you are functionally capable of doing, not why. This means your employer may learn that you are unable to sit for prolonged periods, but not that you have a back injury or are receiving treatment for depression.

What happens after six weeks: the reintegration process

If you are still unwell after six weeks, your employer is required to draw up a plan van aanpak — an action plan — together with you, outlining steps towards recovery and return to work. A company doctor must have assessed you by this point. At 42 weeks of continuous illness, your employer must formally notify the UWV, the Dutch Employee Insurance Agency. Throughout the two-year period, both you and your employer have active reintegration obligations: your employer must explore whether you can return to your own role (spoor 1) and, if not, whether alternative work can be found at another employer (spoor 2). Failure by your employer to document and pursue reintegration properly can result in the UWV imposing a wage sanction, forcing your employer to continue paying your salary for an additional 52 weeks beyond the normal two-year limit.

Job protection during illness

For the duration of your sick leave — up to two years — your employer is prohibited from dismissing you solely on grounds of illness. This is known as the opzegverbod tijdens ziekte (prohibition on dismissal during illness). There are limited exceptions: if your company closes entirely, or if you refuse to co-operate with reintegration without valid reason, your dismissal protection may be weakened. But in normal circumstances, your position is secure while you are ill, and any notice of dismissal issued during sick leave is void. This protection applies equally to employees on permanent contracts and those on fixed-term contracts, although for the latter it runs only for the remainder of the contract duration.

After two years: the WIA assessment

When two years of illness have elapsed, the UWV carries out an assessment under the Wet werk en inkomen naar arbeidsvermogen (WIA). If you are found to be more than 35 per cent incapacitated for work, you may be entitled to a government benefit: the IVA for full and permanent incapacity, or the WGA for partial or temporary incapacity. If your incapacity is below 35 per cent, you receive no WIA benefit and are expected to find work independently. At this point your employer may also give notice of termination, subject to the standard dismissal rules. For expats on a sponsored work visa, it is worth consulting an employment lawyer or your employer's HR team well before the two-year mark, as long-term incapacity can have implications for your residence permit status.

Frequently asked questions

Does my employer have the right to ask what illness I have?

No. Your employer may ask how long you expect to be absent and how to reach you, but they are not permitted to ask for or record your diagnosis. Under Dutch privacy law and the GDPR, medical details go only to the company doctor (bedrijfsarts), who reports back to your employer purely in terms of what you are functionally able to do — not why.

How much of my salary do I get while on sick leave?

Dutch law guarantees at least 70% of your last-earned wage for up to two years, and during the first year that 70% must be at least the statutory minimum wage. Many collective labour agreements (CAO) are more generous, commonly paying 100% in year one and 70% in year two. There is no unpaid waiting period at the start of a sick period.

Can I be fired while I am off sick?

Generally no. The opzegverbod tijdens ziekte prohibits dismissal on the grounds of illness for up to two years, and notice issued during sick leave is void. Narrow exceptions exist — for example if the company closes entirely, or if you refuse to co-operate with reintegration without good reason. On a fixed-term contract the protection runs only to the end of the contract.

Sources & official references

This guide is based on the official Dutch government and regulator pages below. We link them so you can verify every figure at source — rules and amounts change, and the source always wins.

Was this guide helpful? We try to keep all information up to date, but rules change. Always verify critical financial, tax, or legal information directly with the relevant authority before making decisions. See our editorial standards for how we research and review these guides.

← Back to all guides