We have specifically defined how things work with the Gatekeeper Improvement Act (Wet Verbetering Poortwachter). It covers what to do if you become ill during your holiday, dossier management, and so on. You can also read what your rights and obligations are in case of prolonged illness and what UWV does.

We will briefly explain a few points below. The extensive document can be found here:

Reporting sick

If you want to call in sick, you can report sick in the morning by calling the reporting sick number Emailing or Slack messages won’t be noted as sick leave. During the phone call, this colleague will ask you when you think you will be better and discuss what you are working on and what may need to be transferred. This colleague will communicate your absence in Slack. Tip: Put the reporting sick number in your phone.

❗ Sick number is: 050-700 99 03 (please call in the morning between 8:30 and 9:00)

If you become ill during the working day and want to go home, you report this personally to the role Doctor's Assistant (or if you are working from home please call 050 700 99 03). When you are recovered, we kindly ask you to call 050 700 99 03. That is all.

During your sickness

When you are sick, make sure you are available on your phone so that we or the external health service (Arbodienst) can reach you. We will keep in touch to hear how you're doing. When your nursing address changes, you must also inform us.

The Gatekeeper Improvement Act sets out the efforts we both need to make to speed up your recovery. In the Absenteeism Rules, see the link above, you can find more about this. Read this at least when you are sick.

Company doctor

If you are sick for approx five days, the Medical Case manager of the Health and Safety Provider named GOED will probably contact you. During this conversation, questions will be asked regarding your health issues. Expect questions about prescribed medications, physical/ mental struggles or issues related to work or private life that could affect your health. Try to answer the questions in the best possible manner. That way, the medical case manager can help/ guide you accordingly during this time of illness. This call will take place unannounced, if you rather have it scheduled, contact the Preventive care and reintegration mentor.

When you have been ill for (almost) 6 weeks, a next appointment will be scheduled. This appointment will be held so that a Problem Analysis can be made. A written report will follow, ask the contact person at GOED for log-in details so you can view the Problem Analysis.

Do you dread it? Don’t worry, all these steps are here to help/support you! Feel free to contact the Reintegration mentor when you are nervous about this. Together you can prepare for this conversation, so any doubts or insecurities can be addressed before the scheduled appointment with the Medical Case manager of the Health and Safety Provider named GOED.

Do you want an (early) consultation with the company doctor about your situation, then you can call to make an appointment (with GOED) yourself or let the Preventive care and reintegration mentor know.

▶️ Last but not least: all medical conversations with GOED are confidential, the employer will not receive any details.

Obligation to continue payment of wages

If you cannot work due to illness, we will continue the payment of the salary for the first year in full. In the second year wages of 70% are paid.

Sick during holidays

If you become ill during your holiday, you must inform us as soon as possible, i.e. by telephone, stating your holiday address. After your return, you must be able to submit a 'medical certificate' (drawn up by a doctor during the illness) to the occupational health and safety service. This medical certificate states the duration, nature and treatment of the incapacity for work. Based on this declaration, the occupational health and safety service will advise Voys on the return of holidays.

On holiday during illness

If you want to take time off during the period of illness, to go on holiday, you do so in consultation. Sometimes you will need a 'statement of no objection' from the occupational health and safety service. With this statement, you will submit a request to be allowed to go on holiday. We will decide whether to grant the holiday. Your holiday should never be an obstacle to your recovery.

Taking leave during reintegration

When taking leave, colleagues who can partly perform their own work will have to deduct the days of leave for the entire working day/week from their leave balance. This is because you have also accrued the balance of leave over the entire working hours.

For example: you have a 36-hour contract, and you are 50% incapacitated for work. So you are currently working 18 hours a week, temporarily. Do you want free time during this reintegration? Then you must apply for 36 holiday hours in 🔢NMBRS (app) .

Cosmetic/aesthetic treatment

Are you considering treatment of a cosmetic nature? For example, you want to get rid of glasses and therefore undergo an eye laser treatment. Or injectables, or a modification to your nose or breasts, or an eyelid correction? If there is no medical indication, then it is a purely cosmetic procedure, and the colleague is not entitled to leave of absence: sick leave as well as special leave for visiting a doctor f.e

So without a medical indication, a colleague must have the treatment and/or procedure performed on their own time or take vacation leave for this purpose.

It is important for the colleague and @Preventive Care to make clear agreements about this prior to the period of absence.

Complications after surgery

A different situation arises when cosmetic surgery leads to medical complications that prevent a colleague from working. This does constitute a legitimate reason for calling in sick and continuing to pay wages during sick leave.

Preventive Care

On the ☯️Preventive Care page, you will find some information about preventive care, like workplace ergonomics, but also information about dealing with loss. Disclaimer, this is a general text, and reading this does not replace visiting a doctor.