Sickness absence at a foundation: steps you must not miss
Someone calls in sick. You send a sympathetic text message, wish them a speedy recovery, and think: we've got this.
But depending on how long someone stays sick, there are follow-up steps waiting.
The Wet verbetering poortwachter (Gatekeeper Improvement Act) imposes a series of obligations on employers as soon as an employee is off work. Deadlines that sometimes lie weeks, sometimes months ahead — and that you can easily forget when you're handling HR tasks on top of everything else.
At foundations and other non-profits, this often goes wrong. Not because people don't want to, but because no one has ever explained it to them. And the consequence of missing a deadline is not small: the UWV can force you to continue paying wages for up to 52 extra weeks.
This is what you need to know.
What the law requires from you
The Gatekeeper Improvement Act has one goal: to prevent employees from staying at home unnecessarily for too long. To achieve this, it imposes a step-by-step plan with fixed deadlines on employers. Each step builds on the previous one.
Day 1 — Register the first sick day
As soon as an employee calls in sick, you record the first sick day. This sounds simple, but it is the basis for all the deadlines that follow. You don't have to call the occupational health service or company doctor on day one, but make sure the date is properly recorded. If the illness lasts longer, everything is calculated from this.
Week 6 — Problem analysis
The company doctor maps out the limitations, what the employee can still do, and how long recovery is likely to take. This document is the basis for everything that follows.
Week 8 — Action plan
Employer and employee draw up a plan together: what are the reintegration goals, what adjustments are needed, what does the return to work look like? You record this plan in writing.
In between — Evaluations
Every four to six weeks, you discuss the progress. What is going well, what is not, does the plan need to be adjusted? You document everything — the UWV may ask about this later.
Week 42 — Report to the UWV
This is the deadline that is most often missed. After 42 weeks of long-term illness, you are required to report this to the UWV. Reporting too late almost automatically leads to a wage sanction.
Week 52 — Annual evaluation
One year after the first sick day, you evaluate together with the employee how the reintegration has gone and what the plans are for the second year.
Week 88 — Preparation for WIA
If the employee still cannot work after nearly two years, the preparation for a WIA application begins. The UWV sends information, employer and employee make a final evaluation, and by week 93 at the latest, the employee applies for the benefit.
Year 2 — End of wage continuation obligation
After two years of illness, your obligation to continue paying wages generally ends. But only if you have followed all the steps correctly.
Why this so often goes wrong at foundations
The problem is not unwillingness. The problem is that this kind of knowledge doesn't just appear anywhere.
At larger organizations, someone has learned this profession. At a foundation, you google when you are already behind the facts, hoping to find the right information.
The occupational health service with which you once had a contract has meanwhile changed its name three times. You no longer know which portal you need to log in to. And that week 42 report — you didn't even know it existed.
Meanwhile, the deadlines keep running.
How Heartsome keeps track of this
In Heartsome, you can see exactly where you stand in the absence process for each sick employee, which actions are needed when, and when a deadline is approaching.
As soon as someone calls in sick, Heartsome keeps track of the days. After two weeks, you automatically receive an email: the illness is now considered long-term, including follow-up steps. From that moment on, you also see a complete overview of all deadlines — week 6, week 8, week 42 and beyond — with reminders before a deadline expires, not after.
This is what it looks like for an employee who has been sick for some time:
Day 1 – Reported sick — April 13, 2026
Week 6 – Problem analysis — May 25, 2026
Week 8 – Action plan — June 8, 2026
Week 42 – UWV report — February 1, 2027
Year 1 – Annual evaluation — April 13, 2027
Week 88 – WIA application — December 20, 2027
Year 2 – End of wage continuation obligation — April 12, 2028
You don't have to keep track of it yourself. It's just there.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Gatekeeper Improvement Act also apply to foundations?
Yes. The law applies to all employers in the Netherlands, regardless of legal form or size. Even if you only have two employees.
What happens if I miss a deadline?
The UWV can force you to continue paying wages for a maximum of 52 extra weeks. This is a serious financial risk for any organization.
Do I need an occupational health service?
Yes, as an employer you are required to have a contract with a certified occupational health service or company doctor. This is something you need to arrange separately from Heartsome.
What if the employee reports fit before week 42?
Then the obligation for the steps that have not yet been taken lapses. However, it is wise to document everything, in case the employee falls ill again later.
How do I use Heartsome for sickness absence?
You report the employee as sick in Heartsome (or the employee reports themselves as sick, depending on your settings), and the tool automatically calculates all follow-up deadlines and sends you reminders.
Get started today
Working for a good cause? For foundations with ANBI status, Heartsome is completely free — no time limit, no limited features.