Which leave policies are available for caregiving?

Being a caregiver while having a stressful job is very difficult. Especially when your loved one suffers from a long-term illness. To be able to manage this properly, it is important that you don’t overburden yourself. Fortunately, as a working caregiver you can use various types of leave policies.

How do you prevent yourself from getting overworked or getting burned-out by caregiving? How do you keep the focus on your job while you have to be ready for your ill child or partner every day? When you, as a caregiver, look after a loved one in addition to your work, you are entitled to various leave arrangements. In this article you can read about the leave arrangements your employer allows you to take.

Which leave policies are available for caregiving?

Calamity leave

Calamity leave is only meant for emergencies. It is sort of a last minute leave. You can take this leave when you unexpectedly have to take time off. Calamity leave can be just a few hours or a few days maximum. Your employer is required to pay your full salary.

Short-term leave

Short-term leave is the leave you take to care for a sick child or an ill partner.
You can also apply for short-term leave to look after someone within your immediate social circle, such as a parent or other relative.

How long can short-term leave last?

In principle the maximum short-term leave is ‘twice the amount of hours you work per week’. If you work 40 hours per week, you are allowed to apply for a maximum of 80 hours short-term leave per year. If you work 20 hours per week, you can apply for a maximum of 40 hours.

While on short-term leave, your employer is required to pay you 70 percent of your salary. If other agreements have been defined in your collective labor agreement, then these collective labor agreements apply.