Before pregnancy

If you are lucky becoming pregnant happens. That is not always the case. Some people might decide to become parents on their own or you might be a couple where things become more medical.

The Work and Care Act (Wazo) states that, as an employee, you are entitled to paid short-term leave during fertility treatments. This applies to "urgent, unforeseen or reasonably unplanned medical or hospital visits outside of working hours". We are talking about f.e. doctor or hospital visits for (cycle-related) examinations, checks or treatments related to the fertility treatments, such as (but not limited to) surrogacy, IVF etc. You may not be absent for longer than is necessary for that visit to the doctor or hospital. So, in the event that it cannot take place outside of working hours, you may apply for 📆Special Leave.

And good luck ❤️. If you need to talk there are multiple people with experience in this field in the organization.

During pregnancy

During your pregnancy, you have extra rights that are in the best interest of your health and that of your baby. For example, you can take extra breaks if needed. If you feel you need this consult the Preventive care and reintegration mentor, or the Request-for-leave helpdesk.

If possible, you can continue to do your own work as much as possible. But sometimes it is necessary to adapt your work. We must ensure that you can work safely while you are pregnant (and while breastfeeding).

What to expect, when you expecting

When you expect to be a parent or become a parent there are a lot of different benefits available from the Work and Care Act (Wazo). The table below provides a summary of the different WAZO benefits available. For each type of leave, there is a more detailed explanation below.

Maternity leave

Congratulations on your pregnancy! You can find information about pregnancy leave and maternity leave on the UWV website. Once you found out you are pregnant, let the Absence administrator know. We will ask you to submit a pregnancy statement so that we can arrange everything.

This link will redirect you to the UWV website: https://www.uwv.nl/particulieren/zwanger-adoptie-pleegzorg/zwanger-met-werkgever/index.aspx

You are entitled to 6 weeks of maternity leave before the date you are due.

You can choose to continue working up to a maximum of 4 weeks before your due date. The days you have left over in that case are carried over to your maternity leave. If you decide to continue working and become ill between week 6 and week 4, you will automatically go on leave.

Once you have given birth, your maternity leave begins. This lasts at least 10 weeks, even if your baby is born later than the due date. So when you add up your maternity leave and childbirth leave, it always lasts at least 16 weeks.

In 🔢NMBRS (app) , under Special leave, set the date when you go on maternity leave and the expected return date. As title: Maternity leave.

Taking this leave will affect the amount of your untaxed allowances such as the home working allowance and possibly internet or telephone allowance.

Maternity leave for a temporary contract

Do you have a temporary contract that ends while you are pregnant? Then your employer is not obliged to extend the contract. However, your pregnancy may not be the reason for not extending your contract. That is a case of discrimination. The same applies if you become pregnant during your probationary period.

Time and space to pump

You may interrupt your work until to pump or feed your child. This applies until your baby is 9 months old. We have a suitable space for this that you can lock. How long and how often you need this can be synced with the Preventive care and reintegration mentor, or the Request-for-leave helpdesk. This differs per person. You may spend up to a quarter of your working time pumping or feeding. This time is paid by the employer.

Until your child is 9 months old, you have the right to pump or breastfeed your child during working hours. After these 9 months, you may still breastfeed or pump at work but do so on your own time. You may pump or feed as often and as long as necessary, with a maximum time of a quarter of your working day. So if you work 8 hours, you may pump for a maximum of 2 hours a day.

Paternity leave and Additional Paternity Leave for the partner

• For partners whose recognized child was born on or after 1 July 2020.
• With this arrangement, the previous arrangement regarding partner leave lapses.
• In Dutch it is called ‘geboorteverlof’ and ‘aanvullend geboorteverlof’.

Becoming a parent is a beautiful thing. Therefore, after the birth of your child, the Dutch government will give you one workweek off as a partner. This is called Paternity Leave.

As of 1 July 2020, partners can take a maximum of 5 weeks (i.e. 5 times the number of working hours per week) of Additional Paternity leave. During this leave, you will not receive a salary in the literal sense, but we will apply for a benefit from the UWV for the period of these weeks. This benefit from the UWV is 70% of your daily wage (and a maximum of 70% of the maximum daily wage).

We supplement this benefit in the first week of the Supplementary Birth Leave by 30%, up to a maximum of 100% of your daily wage.

As of 1 september 2023, we will supplement this benefit for all the five weeks of Suppelementary Peternity Leave by 30%, up to a maximum of 100% of your daily wage.

You must take the additional birth leave within 6 months of the birth of your baby.

If you want to make use of this kind of additional leave, it is important to make it known quickly. Especially if you choose the maximum number of weeks because this will of course have an impact on the organization. We prefer that you will let us know your plans 3 months before the due date. The sooner you discuss/transmit your plans, the greater the chance that they can be granted the way you would like them to be.

In summary, you are entitled to the following from the birth of your child:

• 1 week legal Paternity Leave (100% salary payment by the employer)
• a maximum of 5 weeks of Additional Paternity Leave, within 6 months of the birth of your baby, of which:
• 5 week 70% by UWV, 30% supplemented by the employer

How do you apply for this kind of leave?

• you request in NMBRS the week Paternity Leave as ‘special leave’ (bijzonder verlof)
• you request Additional Paternity Leave by
1. Inform your direct circle colleagues and the Request for leave helpdesk that you would like to take additional leave.
2. Provide the following in writing:
• the (expected) date of birth of your child;
• the number of weeks you want to take the additional leave (1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 weeks);
• the starting date
• an overview (a detailed schedule/calendar) of when/how you want to take the leave
• the names of colleagues that you have discussed this with (and of course they must have approved it)
• Fill in the following application form

The RFL Helpdesk ensures that your request reaches the Salary Administration.

Parental leave

Parental leave is a legal regulation from the Dutch government that allows you, as a parent, to temporarily work less after the birth of your child. This applies to both parents -of any gender. If you are employed, you get a maximum of 26 times the number of hours you work per week. Until recently your salary was not paid during these leave hours, but this will change as of 2 August 2022. Parental leave is regulated in the Work and Care Act (Wazo). As of 2 August 2022, during 9 working weeks of parental leave, parents receive an UWV allowance equal to 70% of their daily wage (up to 70% of the maximum daily wage). The remaining 17 working weeks (26 weeks-9 weeks) remain unpaid.  Applying to use these hours, as well as payment of these hours, go through the organization.

Parental leave can be taken flexibly, for example, a number of hours per day spread over multiple weeks.

The condition for this flexibility is that the parent takes up these 9 working weeks within the child's first year of life or within 1 year of joining the family if it is an adopted or foster child and the child is not yet 8 years old.

Taking this leave will affect the amount of your untaxed allowances such as the home working allowance and possibly internet or telephone allowance.

Is this also valid for me? I already have a child 😊

The parental leave law also applies to some parents who have a child before the introduction of the law. The child must be younger than 1 year old at the time the law takes effect. If your child is not yet 1 year old on 2 August 2022 and you are still entitled to parental leave (26 times the working hours per week),  you can also make use of this.

For full information see UWV

How to request parental leave?

Please inform your direct circle colleagues and the Request-for-leave helpdesk that you would like to take parental leave.

Provide the following in writing:

• the starting date
• an overview (a detailed schedule/calendar) of when/how you want to take the leave
• the date of birth of your child (to check the age)
• the names of colleagues that you have discussed this with (and of course, they must have approved it)
• Fill in the following application form

The Request-for-leave helpdesk ensures that your request reaches the Salary Administration.

Pregnancy (unexpectedly) ended

First of, it must be really hard what you are going through. A lot of parents in the organization have experienced this. Some made it public, also when this happened in the earlier stages of pregnancy, some kept it for themselves. You do you. Just know that there is support if you need it. The next part may be hard to read and contain the technicalities regarding leave.

Did the pregnancy end after 24 weeks or did something go wrong with the delivery? Then you will receive maternity benefits from the following day. The benefit lasts for 16 weeks.

And ❤️ for you.

Adoption or Foster

Congratulations on your plans for the adoption or fostering of a child. If you adopt a child or take in a foster child, you are entitled to a maximum of 6 weeks’ leave.

If your partner is employed, he or she can also request adoption or foster care leave from the employer. You and your partner do not have to take leave at the same time.

The prerequisite for adoption leave is that the court has pronounced the adoption. The condition for foster care leave is that the child is registered at the address of the foster parent.

A period of leave shorter than 6 weeks is also possible. You have to take the leave within 26 weeks: from 4 weeks before the arrival of your adopted or foster child up to and including 22 weeks afterward. You choose when you take your leave and whether it is for a maximum of 6 weeks or less. If you take 6 weeks of leave, your leave starts at the earliest 4 weeks before the arrival of the child or at the latest in the 18th week after the arrival of the child. With 3 weeks leave this is at the latest in the nineteenth week.

You can ask the Preventive care and reintegration mentor, or the Request-for-leave helpdesk whether you can take the leave spread over 26 weeks. It’s good to know that this can only be rejected if there is an important reason to do so (this is also called 'compelling business interest'). If you receive a benefit, the leave is a continuous period.

During your leave, you will receive adoption or foster care benefits (WAZO). This benefit will last as long as your leave.

We will always follow the rules from our government.

Surrogate mothers and wishing parents

The surrogate mother is entitled to maternity leave and any partner is entitled to partner leave under the law.

Dutch law only considers two possible parents when granting leave. According to the law, the surrogate mother is legally the mother of the child. If the wishing parents want to adopt the child, the surrogate mother can transfer parental authority to the wishing parents after the birth, they then become foster parents and are entitled to foster care leave. After one year, they can adopt the child. Employees who take in an adopted or foster child are entitled to leave and benefits during the leave. This allows parents and child to get used to each other. Prerequisite for adoption leave is that the court has pronounced the adoption. Condition for foster care leave is that the child is registered at the address of the foster parent.