Information for the employee

• Time off during long-time illness

  During long-term illness, you take holiday leave in consultation with your manager. Long-term sick (> 6 weeks) must legally take at least 4 working weeks' holiday per year. Holiday leave is taken in accordance with your working scheme. For example, if you worked 36 hours a week, you must take at least 4x36 hours. The manager ensures that holiday leave is actually taken.

  Part-time employees who are sick are also required to take holiday hours. These concerns the hours that you would normally work according to your schedule if you were not ill.

  You register your holiday leave hours via the self-service option Amending leave and holiday. If a wage cut applies, you also notify the HR Service Desk of this holiday leave after your return, in order to temporarily suspend the wage cut.

  Only if it is medically impossible for you to enjoy holiday leave, then you are not obliged to take holiday leave hours. This is generally only the case if the employee is bedridden or hospitalised. The manager will ask the company doctor for advice on this.

• Illness due to pregnancy, childbirth or organ donation

  In the event of pregnancy-related absence (both pre-maternity and post-maternity leave) Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is entitled to benefit payments from the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV), to compensate the salary.

  If that is the case, you report ill and indicate that there is a safety net situation (pregnancy, delivery or organ donation). 

  The HR Service Desk can apply for the benefit at the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV).

• Incapacitated for work as a result of an accident

  If you are incapacitated for work as a result of an accident caused by third parties, please contact the HR Service Desk, by calling 020 59 82 882 for information about the right of recourse, salary consequences and personal injury or to report an accident.

• Who is involved in the process relating to illness and recovery

  The following parties are involved in the process relating to illness and recovery.

  • Manager
    Your manager is the person who is ultimately responsible for the reintegration process and makes agreements with you about the reintegration.
  • Ill employee
    You are partly responsible for your own reintegration process and you make agreements with your manager about your reintegration.
  • HR Advisor
    The HR Advisor provides support and advice in case of personal issues such as incapacity for work. 
  • Absence advisor
    The absence advisor supports the manager in cases of long-term absence and is the point of contact for employees or HR Advisors who have questions about absence/absenteeism.
  • Occupational health physician
    What can you visit the occupational health physician for? 
  • UWV
    UWV assesses the efforts made by the employer and the employee to facilitate reintegration and decides on the extent of incapacity for work after 104 weeks of illness. You can also contact UWV with any questions you may have about the reintegration process or if the reintegration process stagnates (expert opinion).
  • Occupational consultant
    An occupational consultant determines what sort of work or activities you are still able to do. The occupational consultant decides this based on the limitations/abilities identified by an occupational health physician or a social insurance doctor from UWV in connection with your health status. The occupational consultant can therefore either be someone the occupational health physician brings in or someone from UWV.
  • Social insurance doctor
    The social insurance doctor at UWV assesses what limitations you have on account of your health status and to what degree you can work in spite of them.
    The social insurance doctors at UWV have studied insurance medicine. This is a specialism within the field of medicine.

• Second opinion and expert opinion

  If you do not agree with the advice given by the company doctor, you can ask for a second opinion from another company doctor who does not work at VU Amsterdam. A second opinion concerns the consultation of a company doctor other than your own in connection with advice given by him, for example, concerning the supervision of sick leave or a consultation relating to work-related health issues.

  Ask your company doctor for more information if you want a second opinion.

  The reintegration is a matter between you and your manager. The UWV normally has no role in this. However, sometimes the reintegration gets stuck and you cannot work it out with your manager. You can then ask your HR Advisor or someone else within or outside VU Amsterdam for advice. You can also ask the UWV for an independent and expert opinion on the situation. The costs of this expert opinion are to be paid by the employee. 

• Privacy

  • Everyone is entitled to privacy. This particularly applies to medical data. Your manager or HR Advisor is not legally permitted to ask you about the exact nature and cause of your illness. You can, of course, tell your manager what is wrong with you on a voluntary basis. However, your manager may not record this in, for example, an e-mail, your personnel file or discuss this with third parties without your prior permission. 
  • However, your manager may ask for information that is necessary to assess the next steps in terms of the progress of the work. For example, when you expect to return to work and whether there are any scheduled arrangements that need attending.
  • The occupational health physician, like any other physician, is bound by doctor-patient confidentiality and may, therefore, enquire about medical information and store your medical data in a medical file. This medical file is fully secured and protected. Only the occupational health physician and employees at the Occupational Health, Safety and Environment Department secretariat working under the direct authority of the occupational health physician have access to the medical file.  
  • The occupational health physician will never pass on medical data to your manager or the HR advisor. 
  • Based on the medical data, the occupational health physician issues an opinion on your possibilities and limitations. Based on the possibilities and limitations, your manager will assess with you what work you can (still) do.

Wet verbetering poortwachter

• You report ill on a regular basis. What can you expect?

  • If you report ill more often (> 3 times a year), your manager will invite you to attend a so-called frequent absence interview. During this interview, your manager will ask you about the reason why you report ill on a regular basis. Your manager will not ask for any medical backgrounds. If there are any medical reasons, you can be referred to the occupational health physician for personal advice. If your absence is work-related, you will be looking for possible solutions in consultation.
  • Employees who are motivated and enjoy going to work are less likely to report ill. If you feel that you are no longer motivated and that you no longer derive any positive energy from your work, it may be useful to discuss this with your manager, HR Advisor or a career coach. Frequent absence can be a precursor for long-term absence, as is absence due to back pain, psychological problems and disturbances in the balance of employees’ work and private lives.

• You have been ill for more than 4 weeks: You will be invited to consult the occupational health physician.

  If you have been ill for more than 4 weeks, the secretariat of the Occupational HSE will send you an invitation for a consult with the occupational health physician. Unless medical reasons provide your visit, you are required to respond to the invitation.

  Alternatively, you can arrange for an appointment with the occupational health physician yourself (sooner), in the event of lower back pain, psychological problems, problems at home and in the event of work-related absence. Your manager can also ask the occupational health physician to invite you for a consultation if this seems necessary. The advice of the occupational health physician may prevent or limit long-term absence. You can make an appointment by contacting the secretariat of the Occupational HSE. 

  In the sixth week of your illness, the occupational health physician draws up a Problem analysis. In the Problem analysis the occupational health physician will set out the symptoms without stating any medical cause. He also advises on the method and pace of rehabilitation. It can be useful to think in advance about what you want to ask the occupational health physician and, if necessary, put this on paper. 

  The Problem Analysis will be placed in your Absence file. You can view your absence file via the Illness and recovery self-service option. Next, click on the blue ‘Take action now’ button and go to History. You will find your absence file under the Open Poortwachter report (PDF) tab.

• You are 6 weeks ill: discontinuation of fixed allowances for commuting and working-from-home

  If you are, according to the absence records, 6 weeks fully sick your fixed commuting allowance and working-from-home allowance will be discontinued. Tax ruling stipulates that the employer must cease these allowances in case of full illness. This does not happen immediately, but only after a full calendar month following the month in which you reported fully sick.

  As soon as you are capable of working again partially or fully, you need to fill in a new commuting statement immediately. Enter the first day of the upcoming calendar month as your starting date. Indicate in this commuting statement how many days per week on average you expect to travel to VU Amsterdam. From this date the allowances will then be paid to you.

  If later in your recovery process you start travelling to VU Amsterdam for more days, you need to fill in a new commuting statement to adjust the amount of days per week. The effective date here again is the first day of the upcoming calendar month. The same applies if you unexpectedly have a relapse in your recovery and can work less days.

  Below you find the tax ruling explained in a practical example:

  1. You become 100% sick on 5 September
  2. Throughout September and October you still receive the allowances for commuting and working-from-home
  3. As of 1 November, these allowances will automatically cease
  4. You return to work partially or fully on 5 January
  5. You fill in a new commuting statement as of the first of the next calendar month, so in this example per 1 February
  6. In February you are again paid the allowances with the salary of February

• You are 8 weeks ill: time to draw an action plan

  Within 2 weeks after the Problem Analysis had been completed, you and your manager draw up an Action Plan  In this plan, agreements are made about the reintegration; which work you will do, whether your work needs adjustment, etc.. Your manager will take the initiative for this, as an employee you have the responsibility to actively participate in your reintegration. You can think about what you can still do and with what measures or adjustments you can (partially) resume your work. Here you can think of:

  • What tasks can I still do?
  • How can the work be (temporarily) adjusted so that I can still do it, for example by adjusting the working hours, the workplace or the use of facilities?
  • How can I be helped by training, coaching or another intervention aimed at resuming my work.

  The Action Plan is placed in the Absence file. You can view your absence file via the Illness and recovery self-service option. Next, click on the blue ‘Take action now’ button and go to History. You will find your absence file under the Open Poortwachter report (PDF) tab.

• You have been sick for more than 8 weeks: keep in regular contact with your manager

  At least every six weeks you have contact with your manager about the implementation and possible adjustment of the Action Plan. Discuss together how the reintegration can best take place. You also have a responsibility in this. We expect you to do everything in your power to ensure your recovery.

  Depending on how the reintegration progresses, you will discuss with your manager what extra is needed to achieve a return to your position.

• You have been ill for 26 weeks: consequences for the Flexible working hours

  If you have opted for the plus or minus variant in the Flexible working hours, this choice will be stopped after a period of 6 months in case you are fully incapacitated for work. You will then revert to the number of working hours corresponding to the standard extent of your employment contract. For a full-time employee, this is 38 hours per week. For a part-timer, this applies pro rata.

  If you return to full employment, you can reapply for the plus or minus variant by sending an e-mail to the HR Service Desk (with a cc to your manager).

• You have been ill for 46 weeks: evaluation of the reintegration

  In week 42 of your absence VU Amsterdam is required to inform the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV). If you have been ill for 46 weeks, UWV will then send you a letter requesting that you and your manager evaluate the reintegration process together. Prior to this first-year evaluation, the occupational health physician may be asked to prepare an employability profile, which describes your current work capacity. An occupational consultant may also be asked for advice about your possibilities for returning to your current position and whether or not any modifications can be made to speed up the reintegration process, within or outside of VU Amsterdam.

• You have been ill for 50 to 52 weeks: drafting of a first-year evaluation

  In this meeting, you and your manager will discuss what reintegration efforts have been made in the first year and what the results of those efforts have been. You will also schedule follow-up appointments for the upcoming period. This may also be the time to look at whether it will ultimately be feasible for you to return to work in your own position. If that does not seem to be the case, other possibilities at VU Amsterdam, or, if necessary, outside of VU Amsterdam, will be considered. 

  The online form in the absence tracking system is used in the evaluation. This form is based on UWV’s first-year evaluation form and is included in your absence file.

  The first-year evaluation is saved in the absence file. You can view your absence file via the Illness and recovery self-service option. Next, click on the blue ‘Take action now’ button and go to History. You will find your absence file under the Open Poortwachter report (PDF) tab.

• You have been ill for one year: a wage cut follows

  If you have been ill for one year, your salary will be reduced. This reduction ensues from Article 4 of the Sickness and Disability Scheme for Dutch Universities (ZANU). Your salary will be reduced to 70% for the hours that you no longer work. You will retain your full salary for the hours that you do work.

• You have been ill for more than a year: the plan of action is adjusted regularly

  Should your illness last for more than a year, which we hope will not be the case, you and your manager will reach agreements about how the reintegration process will be continued during the second year of illness, what results the two of you want to achieve and how you will both go about doing it. You will also be invited on a regular basis to appear at the consultation hours of the occupational health physician.

  You will be notified of this in writing.

• You have been ill for more than 20 months: drafting of a reintegration report

  If you have still not completely returned to work after 20 months of illness, your manager will prepare a reintegration report in consultation with you. This report sets out all agreements and concrete results of the intended return to work.

• You have been ill for 88 weeks: UWV sends you information about the WIA application

  At least 2 weeks before submitting your application for the benefit under the Work and Income (Capacity for Work) Act (WIA), you will prepare the final evaluation with your manager.

  You will also visit the occupational health physician, who will draw up an up-to-date opinion. This opinion will form part of the reintegration report that the HR Service Desk uploads to the UWV portal for you. You yourself are responsible for submitting the medical information you receive from the occupational health physician to UWV.

  Before you submit the WIA application to UWV, it is important that you consult with your manager and the absence advisor about this. The submission of the WIA application is an important step and it is a good idea for all parties to work closely together on this and make sure all the deadlines are met.

• You have been ill for 92 to 104 weeks: the ball is in UWV’s court

  During this period, UWV evaluates the reintegration report and the employee is requested to visit to UWV’s social insurance doctor. This forms the basis on which UWV determines the extent to which the employee will be declared incapacitated for work. Ideally, UWV will reach its decision before week 104, as the employer’s obligation to continue paying wages for the hours which the ill employee does not work ends at week 104.

• You have not yet recovered after 104 weeks: the WIA decision

  The employer’s obligation to continue paying wages for the hours which you do not work due to illness ends at 104 weeks. You will, however, still receive 100% of your wage for the hours that you do work. UWV’s decision will determine whether you will receive a supplement to your wage from VU Amsterdam or a WIA benefit.

  The WIA decision

  If UWV decides that you are capable of earning more than 35% of your previous wage, you will not be eligible for a WIA benefit and you will remain employed by VU Amsterdam. From that moment onwards, your income from VU Amsterdam will be based on the Sickness and Disability Scheme for Dutch Universities (ZANU).

  If you are more than 35% incapacitated for work for longer than 104 weeks, your income will depend greatly upon the extent of the incapacity for work, whether or not you are still capable of working and the extent to which you actually do work. This situation varies a lot from person to person and providing the right information on this subject often requires a customised approach. For more information about this situation, you can rely on the involved absence advisor at VU Amsterdam.

  Advance

  UWV has a considerable backlog and in many cases the decision in relation to the WIA benefit is issued only after the employer’s obligation to continue paying wages has ended. UWV therefore offers an advance on the benefit to bridge this gap.

  If UWV is expected to decide that you are less than 35% capacitated for work, it is not recommended to request an advance. That will be the case if you have been back at work for a considerable number of hours by now. Talk to your absence advisor about this.

  If you are also working several hours during the period for which you are applying for an advance, you are required to inform UWV of this when submitting the application. You should state the number of hours you work and the wage you earn for them. If you fail to do this, the advance payment you receive from UWV will be too high and the amount received in excess will have to be paid back later on.

• Dismissal after 104 weeks of illness

  If you have not yet recovered after 104 weeks, VU Amsterdam may proceed to dismiss you. This will apply if you are more than 35% incapacitated for work according to UWV, you are not expected to recover within six months and there are also no realistic opportunities for reassignment.

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