In 2024 nearly 52 per cent of the 8.1 million employees in the Netherlands reported sick at least once, and absence cost the Dutch economy more than 28.5 billion euros. A sick employee costs an employer more than 400 euros a day on average. For Amsterdam employers, operating in a dynamic and tight labour market, acting quickly and expertly when someone drops out is not a luxury but a hard necessity. At the same time, every employer in the Netherlands has a statutory duty: you must work with an occupational physician, as set out in the Working Conditions Act (in Dutch).
An occupational physician on site in Amsterdam offers a concrete advantage in that: short lines, quick deployment and a physician who really gets to know your organisation, your people and the Amsterdam working context. But how do you tell a real partner from an anonymous supplier? And what exactly should you watch for? In this article we set out the most important criteria, name the mistakes that are made most often, and give practical handles for finding the right occupational physician on site.
What an on-site physician actually does
An occupational physician is a medical specialist with a protected title. Only a doctor who, after the six-year basic medical degree, has also completed the four-year specialisation in occupational medicine may officially call themselves an occupational physician. That is not a detail: it means you are dealing with someone who works independently in substance, towards you as an employer as well as towards your employee. That independence is anchored in law and forms the basis of sound occupational medical practice.
With a physician on site, the doctor comes to your office or premises in Amsterdam periodically, or at set times. The physician assesses the medical situation of an absent employee in relation to the work and advises on what they can bear and on resuming work. That advice helps both employer and employee take fitting steps within the absence process. Besides absence guidance, a physician on site can also hold preventive clinics, think along about working conditions and carry out a periodic medical examination, right there on your floor.
The NVAB (in Dutch), the professional association of occupational physicians, stresses that occupational medicine is bespoke work: no two situations are exactly alike. A good physician adapts the approach to the particular context of your organisation, sector and people, instead of working through a standard protocol.
Why location in Amsterdam makes the difference
Amsterdam is not an average Dutch city when it comes to the labour market. The city has a large share of knowledge workers, creative sectors, international companies and a growing group of freelancers and flexible workers. At the same time there are sectors with higher physical strain, such as logistics, healthcare and hospitality. That diversity calls for a physician who understands the local context and can be on the spot quickly.
A physician with a fixed location in Amsterdam, or one who is at your site every week, makes it possible to confer quickly and work together on joined-up solutions. Long journeys or an anonymous telephone clinic are not an option in acute situations. Physical presence also helps build trust among employees, which lowers the threshold for starting a conversation early, before anyone has dropped out.
Preventive contact with the occupational physician, also called a working conditions clinic or preventive consultation, is an underrated instrument. The physician can then think along about solutions and measures that keep people at work. That works better when the physician already knows your office in Amsterdam Centre, North, West, East or South and does not have to start from scratch each time.
A common mistake: searching only after drop-out
The most common misconception is that you only need an occupational physician once someone is already ill. In practice you see employers making a choice under time pressure at that point, without the chance to assess a partner properly. The Gatekeeper Improvement Act sets tight deadlines: the problem analysis must be ready by the sixth week of absence at the latest, the action plan by the eighth week. Anyone without a regular physician at that moment risks a sanction from UWV or a wage sanction of up to a year of extra wage payments.
So start selecting an occupational physician on site in Amsterdam well before anyone drops out. That gives you time to hold several conversations, compare working methods and test whether the physician really fits your organisational culture.
What to watch for when choosing
The choice in Amsterdam is wide: dozens of occupational health services and independent physicians are active in the region. That makes a focused selection all the more worthwhile. Watch the following points:
- Check that the physician is registered in the Dutch BIG register as a specialist in occupational medicine and that re-registration is current. According to the NVAB (in Dutch), occupational physicians must re-register every five years.
- Ask about concrete availability at your site in Amsterdam: how often, on which days, and how quickly can the physician be there in an acute situation?
- Ask about the working method around the Gatekeeper Improvement Act: are all documents drawn up and kept up to date in time, so that you build a file that will hold up?
- Ask for a file check if you are switching from another service: that way you find out whether running absence files are complete and whether reintegration options have been missed.
- Watch the notice period in the contract with your current or intended service, and always conclude a data processing agreement for correct handling of medical data.
Besides the formal requirements, the personal click counts as well. A physician who puts people at ease, communicates openly and spots things proactively has more impact than one who only reacts to sickness reports.
Psychological complaints call for extra attention
The trend of rising psychological absence is continuing. Long-term absence accounts for by far the largest share of total absence days, and psychological complaints are a growing cause within it. For an occupational physician on site in Amsterdam, that means knowledge of work-related psychological problems, such as burnout, workload and conflict, is indispensable. So ask actively about the physician's experience in this area and about cooperation with psychologists or coaches nearby.
The Dutch government (in Dutch) has made psychosocial workload one of the priority themes in health and safety policy. A good physician on site helps you make this subject discussable, spot it early and arrange suitable support where it counts.
Dokter Beter on site in Amsterdam
Dokter Beter specialises in occupational medical services at your own premises. Our physicians are active in Amsterdam and the surrounding area and work closely with your HR team and managers. When a new collaboration starts, we always begin with a file check on running absence cases, so that you know straight away where you stand and do not miss any statutory deadlines. Our approach is personal, practical and aimed at sustainable employability, not only at solving absence that already exists. Want to know what an occupational physician on site would look like at your Amsterdam organisation? Get in touch through our Amsterdam page.
A physician who knows your floor tackles absence faster than an anonymous clinic ever can.
An occupational physician on site in Amsterdam is more than a statutory obligation. It is an investment in the health, the trust and the sustainable employability of your people. Those who choose the right partner notice that absence is tackled faster and better, and that people drop out less often.
Key takeaways
- Every employer is legally required to work with a registered occupational physician, as set out in the Working Conditions Act and enforced through the Gatekeeper Improvement Act.
- An occupational physician on site in Amsterdam gives you short lines, quick deployment and a physician who gets to know your organisation and people personally.
- Start looking well before there is any absence, so that you are under no time pressure and can make a considered choice.
- Always check the physician's BIG registration and re-registration status, and test availability at your site in concrete terms.
- At the start of a new collaboration, ask for a file check to avoid missing statutory deadlines or reintegration options.
- Psychological absence is growing: choose a physician with demonstrable experience in this area and good working links with psychologists and coaches in the region.
- Always conclude a data processing agreement for correct and secure handling of your employees' medical data.
Dokter Beter has a location in Amsterdam and is ready to think along with you. Get in touch and find out what an occupational physician on site could mean for your organisation in concrete terms.