Emergency leave

You can take emergency leave for as long as necessary to resolve an urgent personal matter. This can range from a few hours to a few days. Arranging for a plumber to come and fix a burst water pipe, for example, takes a few hours. Arranging the funeral or cremation of an immediate family member may require a couple of days of leave.

There is no maximum number of hours of emergency leave in a year. The wages continue to be paid during the emergency leave.

You are entitled to emergency leave in the following cases:

• If you need to take immediate leave due to an unexpected situation. For instance:
  • You need to collect your sick child from school;
  • Your water pipe has burst and you need to arrange for a plumber immediately;
  • Your house is on fire.

• If you need to take time off due to very special personal circumstances. For instance:
  • Your partner is due to give birth;
  • In connection with the necessary care on the first day of illness of a close family member or social relation of the employee;
  • A direct family member passes away. The family member is a blood relative of you, your spouse or your registered partner in the direct line or in the second degree of the collateral line;
  • You need to see the doctor, and this can only be done during working hours. Or you need to accompany someone close to you to the doctor.

• If you can only comply with a statutory or government-imposed rule by taking time off work. For instance:
  • You need to register the birth of your child.
• If you can only vote during working hours.

Applying for emergency leave with the employer

You report a emergency to your employer as soon as possible. When doing so, you indicate the reason and how long you expect the leave to continue. Your employer may subsequently request evidence demonstrating that the leave was necessary (for example, an appointment note from the general practitioner).

Your employer may refuse to grant leave if there are compelling business or service interests that prevent this. In that case, the employer notifies its rejection in writing, stating the reasons for its rejection.