Last June, Health Minister Hugo de Jonge announced a 1.000-euro coronavirus bonus for healthcare workers in the Netherlands. However, it has been reported that thousands of workers across the country haven’t received the money they are owed.
As a result of the unprecedented strain placed upon the Dutch healthcare system during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, De Jonge promised nurses, carers and support staff (i.e. cleaning staff) whose work was affected by coronavirus a one-off bonus of 1.000 euros.
Doctors were not eligible to receive the bonus, and employers across the country were asked to decide which workers should receive the money - a decision which faced much scrutiny. Regardless, the Dutch government expected to receive approximately 800.000 applications for the bonus, but by the end of November, they had received more than double the expected amount.
It is estimated that around two-thirds of eligible care institutions failed to apply for the bonus for third-party employees, and now a group of employers, temporary employment agencies and self-employed interest groups have launched a hotline in order to determine how many workers didn’t receive their bonus.
They fear that thousands of freelance workers were not put forward by their employers to receive the bonus, and also highlight the fact that each institution handled the application rules differently. The government did publish a list outlining which professions were and were not entitled to receive the coronavirus bonus - something which many employers adhered to, while others acted against it and applied on behalf of all workers.
So far, according to zorgbonusgemist.nl, over 1.000 workers applied for the 1.000-euro bonus but didn’t receive it, while over 2.500 people who were entitled to receive the bonus were unable to apply for it. Workers eligible for the 1.000-euro bonus should receive a further 500 euros in 2021. According to the Netherlands Trade Union Confederation (FNV), some workers may not receive their bonus until 2023.