De Unie, in your interest

Your work and income

When are you entitled to special leave?

June 03, 2021
Office, special leave

Weddings, births, relocations or funerals: special moments in your life that you want to devote enough time and attention to. Fortunately, thanks to the special leave, this can often be done without sacrificing hours or wages. Yet little has been laid down in law about it. Your collective labor agreement, employment contract or company regulations usually state when you are entitled to the leave and how this is arranged exactly. In this blog you can read about common family circumstances and special events for which you can take special leave.

Not receiving our newsletter yet? Then sign up quickly.

Degrees of consanguinity

Many of the situations in which you can take special leave have to do with your family. How close to the relative in question is, in some cases determines what your leave looks like. There are a total of four degrees of kinship:

First grade

  • (adoptive parents
  • (adoptive) children

Second degree

  • grandparents
  • grandchildren
  • brothers and sisters

Third degree

  • great grandparents
  • great-grandchildren
  • cousins ​​(children of siblings)
  • uncles and aunts (siblings of your parents)

Fourth degree

  • great great grandparents
  • second cousins ​​(grandchildren of siblings)
  • cousins ​​(children of your parents' brothers or sisters)
  • great uncles and aunts (uncles and aunts of your parents)

Are you married or a registered partner? Then your partner's blood relatives are your relatives.

Passing away

If someone in your family dies, you get days off for that. If it concerns a first- or second-degree family member, in many cases you can take emergency leave. This can then turn into special leave. For example, to be able to attend the funeral. You often get:

  • 4 days if your spouse, partner, blood relative or relative in the 1e degree dies;
  • 2 days if your blood relative or relative in the 2e degree dies;
  • 1 day as a blood relative in the 3e of 4e degree dies.

Wedding

For the marriage of a first- or second-degree relative, you are usually entitled to one day off. Check your employment contract, collective labor agreement or company regulations, it often states exactly how long your leave may last.

wedding anniversary

On your own wedding anniversary (25 or 40 years) you are usually entitled to one day off. The same applies to the anniversary of your parents, in-laws or foster parents (25, 40, 50 or 60 years). Check your employment contract, collective labor agreement or company regulations, it often states exactly how long your leave may last.

Doctor's visit

Legally speaking, you are not entitled to a doctor or dentist visit during working hours. In most collective labor agreements it is agreed that you should plan these outside working hours as much as possible. Only if this really doesn't work, you may be able to use short absenteeism leave. In any case, discuss this with your employer and check your collective labor agreement, employment contract or company regulations to find out what you are entitled to.

Pregnancy Exam

You do not need to take holiday hours for a pregnancy check-up. It has been agreed in the Working Hours Act that these are allowed during working hours and that you will be given leave for this. As a result, you will continue to be paid during the investigation and the travel time.

Other events

In some cases you can also take special leave for a:

  • anniversary
  • move
  • exam
  • union activity

Check your collective labor agreement or company regulations

Not all forms of leave are laid down by law. When you are entitled to special leave, this is in most cases included in your collective labor agreement, employment contract or company regulations. This also states how long the special leave may last and whether the leave is paid or unpaid.

Questions

Would you like to know more about special leave? Or do you think you are entitled to days off, but your employer does not agree? Contact our legal specialists. Our Service Center is available every working day from 8.00 to 18.00 via sc@unie.nl or 0345 851 963.

 

[print_link]

Related posts

state pension money

Done working? Time to travel!

Your retirement: a period of doing what you want. Spending time with your (grand)children, hobbies and travelling. Many people go…

Become a member for free