Allowances and benefits

Sick pay
You can take a sick leave in the Netherlands as well as in Poland. If you are ill, you do not have to present a sick leave or a medical certificate, but you should inform your employer (AB) about your condition immediately. You must do it on the first day of your illness. Your employer (AB) will inform UWV (the Executive Institute for Workers’ Insurance) of your illness.

Your employer (AB) has the right to carry out a check during your illness; they may visit you at home to make sure you are really sick. Therefore, always give your current address of residence and your phone number.

Remember: The first two days of a sick leave are not paid. You have the right to a sick pay starting from the third day of work.

Remember: The amount of your sick pay depends on the number of weeks you have worked before you fell ill in the Netherlands.

The benefit, amounting to 70% of average salary, is paid out by UWV. This institute issues a decision on the amount of a sick pay calculated on the basis of the average salary obtained in the period before the onset of your sickness. If you hand over UWV’s decision to AB, your employer (AB) will supplement the benefit amount, so that it reaches 91% of your last salary. You should apply for the sick pay yourself.

If you start receiving other benefits or allowances while receiving the sick pay in the Netherlands, you must inform your employer or UWV about this. It is your responsibility to check if you are still entitled to the sick pay. If not and you are still receiving it, the institution may order you to refund a portion of the money you have received.

Holiday allowance

When working in the Netherlands, you are entitled to a holiday allowance (Vakantiegeld) amounting to 8% of your gross salary. AB pays it out as an allowance to the salary, in several parts or once a year. The amount of the allowance is specified as a separate item on the pay slip. The allowance can be paid out earlier only if you leave your job at AB earlier.

Days of holiday and holiday allowance
If you work full-time throughout the year, you collect reservations that ensure you can take out 24 days of a paid holiday leave. Therefore, after working for a full month, you will have collected 16 hours of a holiday leave (2 days).  To this end, AB reserves a fixed percentage rate from your hourly rate; the rate amounts to 10.39% (the so-called Vakantiedagen). Days of holiday can be used up e.g. when going to Poland. If you have sufficient holiday entitlement, you can use up these days; however, you must sign and provide your coordinator with you holiday sheet.