What happens if the temporary employment contract ends and the employee is sick?
When an employee reports sick, and the illness turns into a long-term sickness, several steps need to be initiated by the employer. The employee needs to be reported to the company doctor ('bedrijfsarts'), an action plan ('plan van aanpak') needs to be drawn up, and at the 42nd week of sickness, the employee must be reported to the UWV (Employee Insurance Agency) as long-term sick.
But what if the temporary employment contract ends while the employee is still sick?
Reporting to the UWV
In that case, the employer must also report the employee's illness to the UWV. This has to be done on the last day of employment. The UWV will then take over the return-to-work progress, and the employer's obligation to pay the wages ends. The fine for not reporting the sick employee to the UWV (on time) is €455.00.
The return-to-work report
The employer may also have to make a return-to-work report ('re-integratieverslag'). This depends on when the employment ends:
- If the employment ends within 6 weeks of the first day of illness, or the employee is expected to be fully recovered within 3 months: the employer does not need to make a return-to-work report;
- If the employment ends between 6 and 10 weeks after the first day of illness: the employer has to make a short version of the return-to-work report;
- If the employment ends 10 weeks after the first day of illness, the employer must make a complete return-to-work report and submit it to the UWV.