Leave systems for caregivers

You also receive a benefit from the RVA for thematic leave. There are several types of thematic leave.

Care leave or leave for medical assistance

• For each seriously ill patient, you may interrupt your work for 1 to 3 months, with the possibility to extend up to a maximum of 12 months.
• The person in need of care is a family member (by blood or marriage) or a household member you live with.
• You can take care leave full-time, half-time, or 1/5.

Parental leave

• You are entitled to 4 months of parental leave.
• You can take parental leave full-time, half-time, or 1/5 until your child is 12 years old.

Palliative leave

You may interrupt your work for 1 month to provide palliative care.
For each patient, an extension of up to 1 additional month is possible after the initial period.

Caregiver leave

Reduce or temporarily interrupt your work as an employee to provide informal care to someone in need of support. See how to apply for caregiver leave.

Every employee can take 1 year of time credit without a specific reason. This type of time credit is meant to help you better balance work and private life. You do not need to give a reason for your leave request. You can take the time credit all at once or in several periods, full-time or part-time.

As a caregiver, you can apply for an additional 36 months of time credit to care for a seriously ill family or household member (up to the second degree) or to provide palliative care. This is called ‘time credit with a specific reason’.

You can take both types of time credit independently of each other. The benefit is paid by the RVA.

If someone you live with needs care due to illness, an accident, or a hospital stay, you can take leave for urgent reasons. You have a maximum of 10 days of leave per calendar year.

Inform your employer as soon as possible. You do not receive income from your employer, unless agreed otherwise.

Of course, unpaid leave is also an option. Discuss the options with your employer.

You should only choose unpaid leave if the other types of leave are not available to you, as you will have no income during this period.