In 2024 a sick employee needed on average just over 17 working days to recover, and the combined cost of all that absence came to more than €28.5 billion for the Dutch economy. Behind that average lies a grimmer picture: absence due to psychological complaints lasted on average 20 days longer over the past three years (in Dutch) among employees between 35 and 55. Employers feel that rise directly in their wallet: a sick employee easily costs more than €400 a day in continued wage payment, replacement and lost productivity.
The question employers and HR professionals ask us most often, then, is: how long does an absence process really take, and what can you do to make it shorter? That is a fair question, because an absence process is not a fixed fate. Its duration depends heavily on how quickly you act, how clear the lines of communication are and whether you involve the right people at the right moments. In this article we explain what the figures say, what the statutory timeline looks like and which concrete steps you can take today to speed up an absence process.
What the figures tell us about absence duration
Average absence duration in the Netherlands rises a little every year. The median absence duration is 5 days, but the average already stood at 16.8 working days in 2023 (in Dutch), and in 2024 it rose further to 17.1 days. That big gap between median and average tells an important story: most people are ill for a short time, but a relatively small group with long-term absence pulls the average up sharply. It is precisely that group that deserves early, targeted attention.
Long-term absence, which runs from 92 days to a full year, is increasing in almost all sectors and age groups. In the 92 to 365 day duration class, 2024 shows a rise compared with 2023 (in Dutch), bringing long-term absence back to the level of 2022. That is not good news, because it is this category that largely determines how high the total absence rate turns out.
The statutory timeline: what is required and when?
An absence process has a fixed statutory framework: the Gatekeeper Improvement Act (Wet verbetering poortwachter). That Act prescribes precisely what employer and employee must do, and when. The steps run from the sickness report in week 1, via the problem analysis by week 6 at the latest and the action plan in week 8, to the WIA application (the Dutch disability benefit) by week 93 at the latest (in Dutch). Miss a deadline and the employer risks a wage sanction, in other words an obligation to keep paying wages for a year longer.
Many employers think they can wait calmly until the occupational physician comes into view. That is a common misconception. The Act calls for action from day 1: recording the absence, keeping in touch with the employee and, if long-term absence threatens, bringing in the occupational physician as soon as possible. By week 6 at the latest there must be a problem analysis with information on work capacity, the possibilities for recovery and the expected resumption of work. Two weeks later, employer and employee sign an action plan together. That plan is evaluated and adjusted at least every six weeks. Anyone who does not keep up this rhythm of contact and documentation runs the risk, at the end of the process, of a negative judgement from UWV (the Dutch employee insurance agency) in the so-called gatekeeper test.
The biggest mistake employers make
The most common mistake in an absence process is not acting too late, but acting too passively. Employers wait, hope it will pass by itself and put off contact with the employee for fear of being intrusive or of breaching privacy rules. That reticence, however, backfires. Research in occupational health services consistently shows that early contact significantly shortens average absence duration (in Dutch). Making contact on day 1 sends a clear signal that absence is taken seriously and that the employee is not being left alone.
Early contact also keeps an employee from sliding into a passive sick role. That passive role is a known risk factor in long-term absence. Employees who notice quickly that their employer is involved feel less isolated, and that sense of connection is especially valuable with mental health complaints. You do not need to be a medical expert to do this: a short phone call of two to three minutes is enough. You ask how things are, you say the employee is missed and you ask whether anything needs arranging. That is all.
Practical steps to speed up an absence process
Speed is not about skipping steps, but about taking the right steps at the right moment. These are the actions that make the biggest difference:
- Make personal contact with the sick employee on day 1, preferably by phone.
- Bring in the occupational physician early, certainly if long-term absence threatens. Do not wait until week 6, but report the absence in week 1.
- Build an absence file from the first day of illness: record every contact, every agreement and every step.
- Make sure the problem analysis and the action plan are ready on time and that both parties understand and sign them.
- Evaluate the action plan at least every six weeks and adjust it when the situation changes.
- Investigate options for adjusted work within your own organisation (track 1) in good time, and start track 2 as soon as that is needed.
Do not forget the role of clear lines of communication either. An occupational physician who is quickly reachable, who actively informs the employer about the employee's functional possibilities and who stays on top of things makes a demonstrable difference to the length of the process. At Dokter Beter we work with fixed half-days per location, so there is a familiar and consistent point of contact for employer and employee alike. Dokter Beter works with Arbo Concern, a certified occupational health service, so that case management and second-track guidance by specialists from Going Concern can also be deployed when needed.
Psychological absence needs extra early attention
A particular point of attention is absence due to psychological complaints. Research by TNO shows that 65 per cent of all work-related absence is psychological in nature (in Dutch), and the duration of this type of absence has been rising for years. The guideline on mental health problems from the NVAB (the Dutch association of occupational physicians) prescribes that the occupational physician makes an initial assessment within about two weeks of the sickness report. Early assessment by an occupational physician helps to establish quickly what someone can still do, what is needed for recovery and whether parallel guidance, by the GP or a psychologist for instance, is advisable.
A misunderstanding we regularly come across in practice is that employers think they must be extra careful with contact in the case of psychological complaints, so as not to burden the employee. In reality the opposite holds: involved, respectful contact is one of the strongest factors in faster recovery. The occupational physician can set the right tone and guide both employer and employee in that contact.
Keeping control pays off
Speeding up an absence process starts with keeping control. That does not mean that as an employer you have to solve everything yourself, but it does mean staying actively involved, bringing in the right people at the right moment and making sure the paperwork and communication are in order. Anyone who does that consistently not only shortens individual processes, but also builds a culture in which absence is less likely to become chronic. And that is the investment that pays off most in the long run.
Making contact on day one shortens the process. Control is the best medicine against long-term absence.
An absence process has a fixed statutory timeline, but its actual duration depends heavily on how proactively you act as an employer. Early contact, bringing in the occupational physician quickly and clear lines of communication make the biggest difference between a process that runs quickly and one that takes needlessly long.
Key takeaways
- Average absence duration in the Netherlands rose in 2024 to just over 17 working days, with long-term psychological absence as the biggest driver.
- Early contact on day 1 of the absence demonstrably shortens average absence duration and keeps employees from sliding into a passive sick role.
- The Gatekeeper Improvement Act sets fixed deadlines: problem analysis by week 6 at the latest, action plan in week 8, and evaluations at least every six weeks.
- The biggest mistake is waiting passively: bringing in the occupational physician too late risks a wage sanction from UWV and a longer absence process.
- With psychological absence, which accounts for 65% of work-related absence, early assessment by an occupational physician is particularly valuable.
- Dokter Beter works with Arbo Concern, a certified occupational health service, and gets in touch within one working day if you need an occupational physician.
- Short lines of communication between employer, employee and occupational physician are the practical key to speeding up any absence process.
Want to know how Dokter Beter can support your organisation with faster and better absence guidance? Get in touch with us. We are happy to think along with you.