Falling ill is something that happens to almost everyone, and thankfully the Netherlands takes quite a straightforward approach to sick leave. If you are sick and unable to work, you have the right to stay home and recuperate, while still receiving your wages.
In the Netherlands, as opposed to some other countries, calling in sick is not generally frowned upon; if you are sick you are expected to stay home. In 2023, just over half of all employees in the Netherlands reported calling in sick at least once in the last 12 months, according to the CBS.
If you are working in the Netherlands and you fall ill on a working day then you must report it to your employer so you can claim sick leave. You are not obliged to tell your employer about the nature of your illness, nor are they allowed to ask you. They are however allowed to ask you when you think you will be able to return to work.
The only exception to this is if you are sick due to pregnancy or donating an organ - this is because sick leave is handled differently in these instances.
Most companies have a formal process for reporting when you are sick, which involves calling, messaging or emailing your manager and/or someone from the HR (P&O) department.
If you are sick during your holiday, and you directly inform your employer, it is possible to have those days counted as (paid) sick leave instead of holiday leave.
In general, no, you do not need a doctor’s certificate to call in sick in the Netherlands.
However, all companies in the Netherlands are obliged to engage the services of an Occupational Health and Safety Service (Arbodienst). If an employee calls in sick, they must report this to the Arbodienst. If you do not return to work within a few days (or perhaps even sooner, especially if your illness or inability to work needs to be verified), the Arbodienst may get in touch with you.
They may also put you in contact with a company doctor (bedrijfsarts), who is tasked with helping you recover and return to work as quickly and responsibly as possible. The company doctor is an external party hired by the company to monitor the health and safety of employees, and prepare so-called reintegration plans to help employees return to work after sick leave. If you are sick for six weeks or more, you are obliged to meet with the company doctor.
The entitlement to sick leave in the Netherlands is generous by international standards. You can take up to two years of sick leave.
There is no set number of sick days in workplaces in the Netherlands. Companies are not allowed to specifically allocate employees a set number of sick days. Everyone benefits from the same two-year entitlement.
All employees in the Netherlands are entitled to sick pay while they are on sick leave. This includes:
Sick pay in the Netherlands is at least 70 percent of your regular salary, but the exact amount and way it is paid depends on how long you are sick for:
If you are ill for fewer than two years, your employer will continue to pay you at least 70% of your normal salary (during the first year, this has to be at least minimum wage; in the second year, it can be less than minimum wage). This is the legal minimum. Some companies choose to pay 100% of your regular salary for a set period of time, and then 70% of your salary for the remainder of the two years. Check your work contract or speak to your HR representative to find out what the situation is at your company.
Note that employers are allowed to utilise so-called “waiting days”, meaning that they can wait for up to two days to start giving you sick pay.
Your employer is not allowed to simply dismiss you during your sick leave. They still have to follow the normal procedures for terminating an employment contract.
While you are on sick leave, your employer is expected to cooperate with you to find ways to get you back to work as soon as possible. This is known as “reintegration”.
During your reintegration period, your employer will put together a plan of action - which could include measures like adjusting your tasks, your working hours, your workplace and your equipment - and have progress meetings with you every six weeks. You will also regularly check in with the company doctor.
As an employee, you are expected to actively cooperate with these reintegration measures, including discussing your situation with the company doctor, attending progress meetings, and accepting and carrying out suitable work assignments. Not cooperating with a reintegration plan is an acceptable reason for dismissal in the Netherlands.
After two years, your employer is no longer obliged to continue paying your salary. They can terminate your employment and allow the government to step in. At this point, you will start to receive sickness benefits.
If you are self-employed in the Netherlands, you are your own employer, and so you are expected to provide for yourself if you fall sick and are unable to work. Many freelancers, for instance, factor this into their calculations when determining their day rate, so they can set aside money for holiday days and sick leave.
Alternatively, you can take out illness and disability insurance with the UWV to protect yourself against loss of income.
Burnout is a type of chronic stress related to work. With the rise of home working and demanding jobs in recent years, it has become an increasingly prevalent issue. It typically presents as a kind of emotional, mental or physical exhaustion, with common symptoms including difficulty completing tasks, long-term fatigue, and feelings of detachment, loneliness or helplessness.
Burnout and mental health concerns are taken seriously in the Netherlands and considered valid reasons for taking sick leave. If you call in sick with burnout or a mental health issue, you will likely be put in touch with the company doctor so they can assess the nature of your condition.
As of 2025, the Netherlands has a pending statutory bereavement scheme for families that should be soon enshrined in law. The draft law states that if you have a partner and underage children, you will receive five days of bereavement leave on full pay following the death of either your partner or your child.
On top of that, there is a legal right to short-term leave following the event of a death in the family. Employees are entitled to take a leave of absence between the death and the funeral.
However, your company may have its own policies regarding bereavement leave, so speak to your HR representative for advice.
In the Netherlands, employees are legally entitled to take (short-term) care leave to look after a sick relative, such as a child, partner or parent. In 2015, care leave was expanded to also include time off to look after extended family members (such as siblings or grandparents) and acquaintances (such as a housemate, neighbour or friend).
This type of leave is available on the condition that the sick person requires care, and that you are the only person who can provide it. If your loved one is in hospital then care leave is not applicable, as the hospital provides the care.
If you wish to take care leave, you must inform your employer as soon as possible. They may request proof such as a letter from a doctor or hospital appointment confirmation.
Within a 12-month period, employees are entitled to take short-term care leave equal to twice their weekly working hours. During this time the employer must pay at least 70 percent of their salary. For cases of life-threatening illness, long-term care leave is also possible; up to six times one’s weekly working hours. However, an employer is not obliged to pay any salary during this period.