what documents are required during sick leave in the netherlands? expat guide

What is a Plan van Aanpak and an Probleem Analyse?

You have called in sick and you’d probably think: “I’ll rest, recover, and we’ll figure it out later.”

The Dutch system thinks: “Perfect. Let’s document everything.”

In that sense we are just like the Belastingdienst. ‘Leuker kunnen we het niet maken, wel makkelijker’ (translation: we can’t make it more fun, but we can make it easier’. Which is honestly …. questionable).

Nevertheless, sick leave in the Netherlands isn’t just a situation. It’s a process which comes with a lot of paperwork.

Quite a lot of it.

The legal framework (why all this exists

All of this falls under:

📜 Wet verbetering poortwachter

Which basically says: Employers and employees must actively work on reintegration
👉 And… prove that they did

And how do you prove that? Yes.. with documentation.

Step 1: Probleemanalyse (around week 6)

Let’s start with the first “official” document.

👉 The Probleemanalyse is created by the bedrijfsarts

This document outlines what is going on, what you are still able to do, and what your limitations are, but it acts more as guidance than as a directive.

It is intentionally kept somewhat ….fluffy… to comply with privacy regulations such as the GDPR, which means your employer does not receive any medical details, only functional limitations. For example, that you can work two hours per day, rather than a diagnosis.

It’s also important to note that only the company doctor (bedrijfsarts) determines your medical fitness to work.

What work is actually carried out, and which agreements are made around that, is something you and your employer define together. This is where the Plan van Aanpak comes in.

Step 2: Plan van Aanpak (around week 8)

Now things get collaborative.

👉 You and your employer create the Plan van Aanpak

This is the stage where the advice from the Probleemanalyse is translated into:
concrete actions, including goals, steps, agreements, and responsibilities,

👉 effectively forming your reintegration roadmap.

While the Plan van Aanpak is often mentioned around the 8-week mark, that timing is more of a general guideline; in practice, it can be drafted earlier, and if the Probleemanalyse is completed sooner, the Plan van Aanpak must follow within two weeks after that.

I think I would mention this for all my little ChatGPT-warriors who like to school me on law… you know… the thing I studied. (*bombastic side eye).

Step 3: Ongoing updates (and yes… you’re not done)

Here’s what many people don’t realize:

👉 The Plan van Aanpak is not a one-time document.

It needs to be:
👉 Evaluated
👉 Updated
👉 Adjusted

As your situation changes. I advise to do this at least every 6 weeks, so you have more than enough time to implement te previous plan and/or make adjustments wherever needed.

Does this sound like a lot of work? Yes it is.. can this be automated? Yes it can! Go check out RecovAI’s tool here.

Step 4: Eerstejaarsevaluatie (around 1 year)

At the one-year mark, things get… serious.

👉 The Eerstejaarsevaluatie is a formal check:

👉 What has been done so far?
👉 What worked?
👉 What didn’t?

And more importantly:

👉 Are we on the right track?

Because after 1 year the pressure, expectations, and scrutiny all increase significantly.

In practice I often have a similar conversation around the six-month mark already, as data shows that returning to work becomes more difficult after that point.

By this stage, you may also start seeing labour assessments, preparation for second-track reintegration (which I’ll explain in another blog), and in many cases a reduction of salary to around 70%.

Step 5: Second year (welcome to phase 2)

If you’re still sick after 1 year:

👉 Reintegration becomes more intensive

Think:

Second-track reintegration (other employer)
More documentation
More evaluations

👉 This is where files either become strong… or problematic.

Step 6: The final file (RIV – UWV assessment)

At the end of (almost) 2 years:

👉 Your full file is submitted to UWV

This includes – among other things –

Probleemanalyse
Plan van Aanpak
Evaluations
Communication records

And everything in between. Please note that your medical information can only be requested by you from the company doctor, and it is something you choose to share with UWV, not your employer.

UWV will assess:

👉 Did both parties do enough?

Why this matters more than you think

This is not just admin.

👉 This is your legal story.

If things go wrong later:

Salary discussions
WIA application
Potential dismissal

This file is what decides the outcome for both you – and your employer.

Where things usually go wrong

Let me guess: you signed documents without really reading them, skipped a few updates, and didn’t document the parts you disagreed with.

And then, a few months later, you find yourself saying:
👉 “Wait… I agreed to this?”

Yes. Yes, you did.

Because in this process, there’s one golden rule:
👉 if it’s not written down, it didn’t happen.

Think of it like your smartwatch: didn’t log your morning run?
According to your stats… you never ran.

Final thought

You’re not just recovering.

👉 You’re building a file.

And that file:
👉 Can protect you
👉 Or work against you

Depending on how it’s handled.

Feeling lost in the documentation?

Because let’s be honest: this is not intuitive and it’s easy to miss something.

If you’re thinking:
👉 “Am I doing this right?”
👉 “Is my file strong enough?”

Let’s check it together.

👉 DM or use the contact form

Because this is one of those things that only becomes visible…
when it’s already too late.