Sickness absence among Dutch employees averaged 5.3 per cent in 2023, after a record 5.6 per cent in 2022. Those are not abstract numbers: every percentage point stands for hundreds of lost working days, lower productivity and, not least, employees sitting at home longer than they need to. For employers in Rotterdam, one of the largest employment regions in the Netherlands, well-organised occupational healthcare is therefore not a side issue but a concrete daily challenge.
The law is clear: every company is required to work with an occupational physician (in Dutch) and everyone at work must have access to that physician. But how you organise that varies enormously. A physician who works at your site in Rotterdam offers different possibilities from an external occupational health service that employees have to travel to.
In this article you will read which options there are for an occupational physician on site in Rotterdam, what the advantages and drawbacks of the different models are, and what to watch for when choosing. That way you make a well-considered decision that fits the size and the culture of your organisation.
What an on-site physician involves
An occupational physician on site, also called an in-company physician, holds consultations at your workplace. Employees can go there for preventive conversations, absence guidance and advice on work-related health complaints. The physician also observes the working environment and spots risk factors that affect the health of the team. That is a fundamental difference from an external service: the physician really gets to know your organisation, including the company culture, the work processes and the particular challenges.
In practical terms you do not need much as an employer to make this possible. A closed room where confidential conversations can take place without colleagues overhearing is enough, with a desk, chairs and preferably access to the HR system. The physician then works at your premises at an agreed frequency, ranging from one half-day a month to several half-days a week, depending on the size of your organisation.
The three main models in Rotterdam
As a Rotterdam employer you broadly have three models for organising an occupational physician on site. Each model suits a different company size and need.
The first model is the regular in-company physician. Here you engage a physician for a fixed number of hours per week or month. The physician has a recognisable presence, employees know when they can come, and HR and managers can go through the cases that need extra attention before the consultation. This model works well for organisations with more than 150 employees and a relatively high volume of absence.
The second model is the hybrid approach: the physician holds some consultations on site and some at a fixed consultation location in Rotterdam or through secure video calls. This gives flexibility, keeps costs manageable and suits medium-sized organisations. The point to watch is consistency: do not change physician too often, because it is precisely the settled relationship between physician and employee that makes the difference.
The third model is a tailored arrangement on request. Here you take out a basic contract with an occupational health practice and bring the physician on site in for particular situations, such as rising absence, a risk inventory and evaluation, or a complex reintegration case. For smaller organisations in Rotterdam this is often the most fitting and affordable form.
What the law asks of you
Chapter 3, article 14 of the Dutch Working Conditions Act states that the occupational physician advises on absence guidance (in Dutch), but the statutory tasks go further than that. The physician also advises on preventive measures, answers employees' questions about health in relation to work, and supports the risk inventory and evaluation. That last task can only be done well when the workplace is known.
In concrete terms, the Act requires every employer to take out a basic contract. Among other things, that contract must state that the physician can visit every workplace. On top of that, employees have a statutory right to see the occupational physician when there is no absence at all, through what is known as the walk-in clinic (in Dutch). As an employer you are required to inform your employees actively about this right. A physician who is regularly on site makes the threshold for using that clinic a good deal lower.
A common mistake: the physician as a checking tool
A persistent misconception is that an occupational physician on site serves as an instrument of control: checking whether an absent employee is really ill. That is not the physician's task and not how it works. The physician assesses what an employee can bear on the basis of a conversation, not on the basis of a physical examination or an attendance check. Anyone who brings the physician in primarily out of distrust misses the point and damages the relationship of trust that effective guidance depends on.
An occupational physician on site works best as an approachable point of contact for employees and as a sounding board for HR and management. Spotting complaints early, preventive advice and good knowledge of the working environment are the real value added. That calls for a physician who is given room to work independently.
Practical tips for choosing in Rotterdam
- Check that the practice has BIG-registered occupational physicians and meets the requirements of the Working Conditions Act for the basic contract.
- Ask about the average response time: how quickly can the physician be brought in when someone is absent?
- Discuss internally with HR and managers which model fits the size and the absence pattern of your organisation.
- Agree beforehand which additional specialists are available, such as a labour expert or reintegration adviser, so that you can move quickly on complex cases too.
- Provide a suitable room on site that can be closed, and tell employees actively when the physician is there and what they can come for.
Dokter Beter works in Rotterdam with a model where you keep control: we match the frequency and the make-up of the team to what your organisation needs at that moment. Whether you want a regular in-company physician or a flexible approach, we are happy to map out the possibilities with you and draw up a proposal together.
A physician who knows your floor gives advice that really works for your people.
An occupational physician on site in Rotterdam is not a luxury for large corporates. With the right set-up, matched to the size of your organisation, every employer benefits from faster guidance, lower thresholds for employees and more targeted preventive advice.
Key takeaways
- Choose the model that fits your organisation: a regular in-company physician, a hybrid approach or tailored arrangements on request.
- Make sure the basic contract meets the Working Conditions Act, including the physician's ability to visit every workplace.
- Inform employees actively about the walk-in clinic: this is a statutory requirement and lowers the threshold for reporting complaints early.
- Use the occupational physician as an independent sounding board for HR and management, not as a means of control.
- Provide a quiet room on site that can be closed, so that confidential conversations are guaranteed.
- Always ask about the availability of additional specialists, such as a labour expert or reintegration adviser, for complex cases.
- Book an introductory conversation with Dokter Beter to discuss your absence profile and the options that suit Rotterdam.
Good occupational healthcare starts with the right structure in the right place. With an occupational physician on site in Rotterdam you take a concrete step towards healthier employees and less absence.