The week-42 report to the UWV: what small employers need to know
After 42 weeks of sick leave, you're required as an employer to report your employee to the UWV. That sounds like something that would come up naturally, but in practice it's exactly the deadline that gets missed most often, simply because 42 weeks is a long time, and a sick report from over ten months ago feels like a distant memory.
What is it exactly?
The week-42 report is part of the Wet verbetering Poortwachter (Dutch Reintegration of Sick Employees Act). You notify the UWV that your employee has been off sick for this long, so they can follow the reintegration process. It's not an application for a benefit — that comes later — just a registration: this is what's going on, and we're aware of our obligations.
When is week 42?
After 42 weeks of sick leave, meaning 294 days, you need to submit the report, at the latest on the first working day afterwards. Make sure you have the first day of sick leave recorded correctly, because all deadlines are calculated from that date.
Also watch out for the aggregation rule: if someone recovers but falls ill again within four weeks, that counts as one continuous period and the clock doesn't restart. Someone who has had two short periods of sick leave can reach week 42 faster than you'd expect.
How do you submit the report?
You submit the report via the 'Verzuimmelder' in the UWV employer portal, for which you need eHerkenning level 3. If you use Digipoort, you can also submit via your own payroll system. There's also a paper form available ("Aangifte van langdurige ziekte") as an alternative.
You'll need: your payroll tax number (loonheffingennummer), the employee's name and citizen service number (BSN), and the first day of sick leave.
What if you're late?
A late report can result in a fine of up to €455. Submit the report as soon as possible even if the deadline has passed, and include an explanation of why you're late.
Separate from the fine, there's another risk: at the end of the two-year reintegration period, the UWV assesses whether you've done enough as an employer. If they find you haven't, they can impose a wage sanction, meaning you'll have to continue paying salary for up to 52 additional weeks. These two things are related but not the same: the fine is the direct consequence of the late report, the wage sanction is a separate judgement about the entire reintegration process.
What if the employee has already recovered before week 42?
Then you don't need to do anything. The report is only required for employees who are still off sick at that point. Do make sure you document the recovery properly, in case they fall ill again later, because the aggregation rule could still apply.
Where it tends to go wrong in practice
Most often it goes wrong because the first day of sick leave wasn't recorded properly. If you've lost track of the date, or can't remember whether there were earlier short periods that count towards the total, you can miss the deadline without realising it.
Another common mistake is assuming the occupational health service handles this. They guide the reintegration process, but the reporting obligation sits with you as the employer. If you're not actively on top of it, nobody will be.
How Heartsome keeps track
As soon as you report an employee as sick in Heartsome, the tool starts counting the days. You can see when week 42 falls and you get a reminder before the deadline passes, not after. If the employee recovers in the meantime and falls ill again within four weeks, Heartsome tracks the aggregation rule too.
More about how the Poortwachter deadlines work in the tool in our article on the Wet verbetering Poortwachter →.
Or read more about Heartsome for small businesses →
Frequently asked questions
Does this apply to small employers too? Yes, to all employers in the Netherlands, regardless of size or sector.
What if I don't know the exact first day of sick leave? Try to reconstruct it from emails, messages, or your payroll records, report as soon as possible, and explain how you determined the date.
Can I submit the report after the deadline? Yes, a late report is still better than nothing. Always include an explanation.
What if an employee was sick before and after maternity leave? This depends on whether the illness before and after the leave has the same cause, which determines whether the periods are added together. Contact the UWV or an employment lawyer in this situation.
What comes after the week-42 report? The first-year evaluation in week 52, preparation for the WIA benefit application in week 88, and at the end of year 2 the end of the continued salary obligation, provided you've followed all the steps correctly.
The rules around sick leave and the Wet verbetering Poortwachter can change. This article gives a general overview based on current Dutch employment law, and is not legal advice. If in doubt, always consult a lawyer or HR advisor. This article is based on Dutch law.
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