68 per cent of Dutch companies have a risk inventory and evaluation (RI&E), but only 30 per cent of those organisations have their main risks properly in view. That makes the question "am I required to have an RI&E carried out?" much more than a legal formality. It is a matter of good employment practice, healthy working conditions and preventing absence that can weigh heavily, in human and in financial terms.
In principle every employer with staff is required to draw up an RI&E, including an action plan. Yet in practice we see it postponed, left to go out of date or kept too general. Risks at a modern workplace are not only about physical safety but about workload and unwanted behaviour too. The urgency is clear: the cost of work-related absence rose to 8.3 billion euros in 2023, of which 4.9 billion related to psychosocial workload. A good RI&E does not only help you meet the Working Conditions Act; above all it helps you spot risks earlier, act deliberately and keep your people healthily at work.
What an RI&E is and why it is compulsory
An RI&E is a risk inventory and evaluation: a written inventory of the risks at work within your organisation, together with an assessment of those risks and an action plan. In that plan you record which measures you will take, who is responsible and when they will be carried out. According to Arboportaal on what the law says about the RI&E (in Dutch), the obligation follows from article 5 of the Working Conditions Act.
So this is not only about paperwork. The RI&E exists to prevent accidents, health complaints and work-related absence. The Dutch Social and Economic Council on the purpose of the RI&E (in Dutch) stresses that a good RI&E can contribute to less absence, more enjoyment at work and a more productive organisation.
For employers this means the RI&E is the basis of health and safety policy. For employees it means risks become visible and discussable. For the occupational physician it offers a starting point for connecting prevention with absence data.
When is it compulsory for your organisation?
The short answer: in almost every case where you have staff, an RI&E is compulsory. According to the Dutch government on employers' obligations (in Dutch), this applies not only to employees on the payroll but also to agency workers, interns, volunteers and hired labour. If you have no staff, in principle you do not have to draw one up.
In practice that means:
- one or more people working in your organisation: an RI&E is compulsory
- a freelancer without staff: usually not compulsory
- a small employer: also compulsory, though simplified instruments are sometimes available
- hazardous work or substances: extra depth needed within the RI&E
For smaller organisations that is sometimes a surprise. It is precisely there that the RI&E is still regularly postponed. At the same time, the Labour Authority's monitor shows that around 68 per cent of companies have an RI&E, which means more than 3 in 10 employers still do not meet this basic obligation.
Anyone wanting to line up their wider responsibilities will see that the RI&E is part of a larger whole of policy, prevention and guidance. That connects to our article on your obligations as an employer and to the explanation of what the Working Conditions Act means for employers in 2026.
What has to be in it?
An RI&E is only complete when the main risks are mapped and an action plan belongs to it. According to Arboportaal on what the RI&E consists of (in Dutch), the RI&E has to fit the working situation of your organisation.
The inventory of risks
You map which risks employees run. Think of:
- physical strain
- screen work
- workload and psychosocial strain
- aggression and unwanted behaviour
- machine safety
- noise, vibration and hazardous substances
- biological agents
- the strain of working from home and hybrid working
Psychosocial workload in particular deserves attention. The TNO Working Conditions Balance on the rising cost of work-related absence (in Dutch) shows that the cost of continued wage payment during work-related absence rose to 8.3 billion euros in 2023, of which 4.9 billion relates to psychosocial strain. For many organisations there is a direct point of improvement there.
The action plan
An RI&E without an action plan is not complete. The Netherlands Labour Authority asks about this explicitly. In the action plan you describe:
- which risks have priority
- which measures you will take
- within what timeframe those measures will be introduced
- who is responsible for carrying them out and following up
For employers that is the moment analysis turns into action. For employees it makes visible what really changes. For the occupational physician and the prevention officer it offers footholds for advising on feasible and effective measures.
Does it have to be reviewed?
Not every RI&E has to be reviewed in the same way, but in many cases a review is compulsory. Following the line set out by the NVAB on the occupational physician's role in the RI&E (in Dutch), the employer must have the RI&E reviewed by an occupational physician or a certified core expert.
When a review is usually compulsory
In practice:
- more than 25 employees: a review is compulsory
- 25 or fewer employees: usually compulsory as well
- exception: no separate review is needed if you have at most 25 employees and use a recognised sector instrument
The advantages of such a sector approach are explained by the Dutch RI&E support centre on sector instruments (in Dutch). From 1 June 2026 a renewed recognition procedure for sector instruments also applies. That matters especially to smaller employers, because a recognised instrument can save time and cost.
What is the occupational physician's role?
The occupational physician looks not only at absence but at prevention as well. Insights from absence guidance, clinics and occupational health examinations can help recognise risks at work better. That also touches on what an occupational physician actually does and why a good basic contract with a service or physician matters.
For employers this means the physician adds value as a sounding board on prevention. For employees it means signals from practice can come back as safer and healthier work. For us as an occupational health practice, that is often exactly where most is to be gained.
How often does it have to be updated?
The law names no fixed annual deadline. According to Arboportaal on what the RI&E consists of (in Dutch), you have to update the RI&E as often as needed. That comes into play with, for instance:
- new machines or equipment
- reorganisations or growth
- different work processes
- a move or refurbishment
- more working from home or hybrid working
- signals from absence, incidents or employee surveys
In practice many organisations choose a major revision once every 3 to 5 years, with interim updates when things change. That is sensible, because an out-of-date RI&E can cause problems during an inspection too.
For employees updating matters because risks change. For employers it keeps old policy from lingering while the work has long since moved on. For the occupational physician, a current RI&E makes it easier to match preventive advice to daily practice.
What happens if it is missing?
If the RI&E is missing, incomplete or has no action plan, the Netherlands Labour Authority can enforce directly. According to the Authority on fines for breaches of the Working Conditions Act (in Dutch), the fine can run to €4,500 for a missing RI&E and to €3,000 for a missing action plan. An out-of-date RI&E can be fined as well.
But the consequences go wider than a fine:
- a greater chance of accidents at work or occupational disease
- more absence and higher wage costs
- a weaker position during inspections, claims or liability questions
- less grip on recurring sticking points such as workload or physical strain
On top of that, quality often lags. According to TNO, only a limited share of companies with an RI&E really have their main risks in view. Having an RI&E matters, but having a good one matters more.
Putting it into practice
For employers
See the RI&E not as a one-off obligation but as a steering instrument. Start with a realistic inventory of risks, involve the prevention officer and your people, and translate the results into concrete actions. Also check whether your RI&E still fits the current size of the organisation and the ways people work.
For employees
Employees have an interest in a safe and healthy workplace and may see the RI&E. Their experience is often needed to recognise risks properly, especially around workload, unwanted behaviour or impractical work processes. An RI&E works better when people dare to raise signals and see what happens with them.
For the occupational physician
The physician can translate patterns from clinics and absence into preventive advice. Think of recurring complaints from high mental strain, physical overload or unclear tasks. That turns the RI&E from a compulsory document into an instrument that helps prevent people dropping out and supports sustainable employability.
In organisations where absence is already an issue, this connects directly to broader themes such as reintegration after long-term absence. Prevention at the front and guidance at the back reinforce each other.
With a good RI&E you see risks in time and keep your people healthy, safe and glad to be at work.
With a current RI&E and a practical action plan you lay a firm basis for healthy and safe work. That way health and safety policy does not become a paper obligation but a valuable tool for preventing absence and drop-out.
Key takeaways
- If you have staff, an RI&E is compulsory in almost every case, even with a small organisation or a compact team.
- A good RI&E does not only map risks but translates them into concrete measures, clear priorities and clear responsibilities.
- A review by an occupational physician or core expert is often needed; only a valid exception lets you depart from that.
- Updating your RI&E when work processes, teams or conditions change keeps your policy matched to daily practice.
- Using the RI&E actively in discussion with employees and managers gives you more grip on absence, workload and prevention.
- With a living RI&E and a feasible action plan you work step by step towards sustainable employability and preventing drop-out in time.
By investing now in a good, current RI&E you show that you stand for healthy and safe work. That way we build organisations together in which people stay employable with pleasure, energy and over the long term.