LEAVE SCHEMES

Maternity Leave

Maternity leave begins between six and four weeks before the day following the expected date of childbirth. Employees must request this leave at least three weeks prior to its start by submitting a statement from a doctor or midwife confirming the expected childbirth date. After birth, maternity leave continues for a minimum of ten weeks from the day following childbirth and is extended by the number of days the baby was born prematurely.
 

Multiple Births Leave

Employees expecting multiple births are entitled to an additional four weeks of maternity leave. This leave may start between ten and eight weeks before the expected date of childbirth. Total leave for multiple births amounts to at least twenty weeks.
 

Special Maternity Situations

Extended childbirth leave due to baby’s hospitalisation: Depending on circumstances, childbirth leave can be extended by up to ten weeks. Part-time childbirth leave: From six weeks after childbirth, childbirth leave can be taken part-time over a maximum period of thirty weeks, in consultation with the employer. Transfer of remaining childbirth leave upon the mother’s death: If the mother passes away after childbirth, her partner is entitled to the remaining childbirth leave with full salary continuation.
 

Birth Leave for Partners

Birth leave for partners (also known as partner leave) equals one week of the employee’s working hours (maximum five days). Employees can request and utilise this leave within the first four weeks following childbirth.
 

Additional Birth Leave

In addition to birth leave for partners, there is also the option of taking five additional weeks of supplementary birth leave. The additional five weeks of supplementary birth leave must be taken within the first six months after childbirth and after the initial birth leave has been used. During supplementary birth leave, the employee is entitled to a benefit from the UWV amounting to 70% of the maximum daily wage.
 

Adoption and Foster Care

Employees who adopt a child or take a child into foster care within their family are entitled to six weeks of adoption or foster care leave. Adoption or foster care leave can be taken within a period of 26 weeks, from four weeks before the actual adoption or foster care placement up to 22 weeks afterwards. During the leave, the employee receives an adoption or foster care benefit under the Work and Care Act, amounting to 100% of the maximum daily wage.
 

Parental Leave

Parental leave is leave that an employee can take to care for their own child under the age of eight. The duration of parental leave is up to 26 times the number of hours the employee works per week.
 

Paid Parental Leave

Both parents (including adoptive and foster parents) are entitled to nine weeks of paid parental leave during the child’s first year of life, or within the first year the child enters the family in the case of adoption or foster care. The benefit during this leave amounts to 70% of the maximum daily wage.
 

Short-term and Long-term Care Leave

Short-term care leave allows employees to provide necessary care for children, partners, parents, grandparents, grandchildren, brothers and sisters, other members of the household, or acquaintances. The employer continues to pay at least 70% of the salary during short-term care leave. Long-term care leave amounts to a maximum of six times the weekly working hours within any consecutive twelve-month period.
 

Emergency and Short-Term Absence

Emergency leave and short-term absence leave cover private situations requiring immediate resolution by the employee. The employer continues salary payments as usual during such leave.
 

Future Plans

The Dutch government intends to consolidate various existing leave arrangements into three pillars: leave related to childbirth and childcare; leave for caring for loved ones; personal leave. An initiative legislative proposal to introduce bereavement leave is currently before the House of Representatives. The leave amounts to one week's working hours per year.
 

More information

For more information about this subject, you can read the advisory handbook.
 

Open handbook