Verzuim insurance
With absence insurance you are insured for the costs when employees fall ill. You must continue to pay wages for up to 2 years and you will also face additional costs such as replacement staff, loss of production and reintegration. With absenteeism insurance you cover (part of) the cost of continued payment of wages during illness.
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What is absence insurance?
Absenteeism insurance is insurance that protects you as an employer from the financial consequences of employee absenteeism. Absenteeism insurance is also called sick leave insurance or sick pay insurance.
In the Netherlands, as an employer you are legally obliged to continue paying sick employees wages for up to 2 years. This is the wage payment obligation. This must be at least 70% of the gross salary, but many collective agreements stipulate that you must continue to pay 100% of the salary during the first year. This can vary by collective bargaining agreement, though. In addition, there are more costs to consider. You often also have costs for (finding) replacement staff, possible lost revenue, costs for absence counseling and reintegration. On average, one sick employee costs more than €400 per day.
The cost of a sick employee
The Central Planning Bureau has created an example of the cost per day for a sick employee. Assuming an average monthly salary of €3,600 (CPB 2024), absenteeism costs per sick employee are easily €9,000 per month.
Sample calculation:
| Payroll continuation | € 162 | |
| Cost of replacement | € 202 | |
| Turnover loss | € 47 | |
| Occupational health and safety service costs | € 12 | |
| Internal absenteeism counseling | € 10 | |
| Total per day of illness | € 433 |
We pick out the fine print for you
"Good advice is important. Especially when it comes to absence insurance. We help a client with that from a to z."
Henk de Jong - Expert absenteeism
Expert absenteeism for years
What does absence insurance cost?
The premium for absence insurance is different for each organization. In fact, many factors affect the amount of the premium. Every company is different. To calculate the premium for absence insurance, an insurer uses a premium percentage. The amount of the percentage depends on several factors. An insurer looks at:
- The composition of the staff (age, number of part-timers, etc.)
- The sector or industry
- The absence figures of the last 3 years
The premium for absence insurance is calculated by multiplying this premium percentage by the company's total payroll. This includes 8% vacation pay. On average, the premium is between 2% and 4% of the total wage bill.
Premium guarantee for 3 years
Do you want assurance that you will pay the same premium for the next few years? There are insurers that offer premium guarantees. With this, you fix the premium for 3 years.
Example of premium for absence insurance
What is the premium if the premium rate is 2.5%? As the total gross salary of the company, we take an amount of €170,000. The calculation is then as follows:
€170,000 x 0.0250 = €1061.50 per quarter
Premium is reviewed annually
Each year the premium is reviewed. The insurer looks to see if company details have changed and if there have been personnel changes that have changed the age structure.
The ratio of how much was paid out last year to how much premium was paid also affects the premium. The insurer also pays attention to absenteeism over the past 3 years and the premium. Certain structural changes in an industry can sometimes lead to an adjustment.
Is absence insurance mandatory?
No, taking out absence insurance is not mandatory. As an employer, you decide whether or not to take out absenteeism insurance. However, taking out absenteeism insurance is often a wise choice. The premium of absenteeism insurance may seem high, but the impact of one or more sick employees can be great.
Map the risks to your business
Are you still hesitating about purchasing absence insurance? Then take a good look at the financial capacity of your company. Suppose there are several long-term sick employees, can you absorb the costs? By mapping out the risks of absenteeism you can make a good consideration.
For example, look at historical absence data, staff composition, risk of long-term absence, current prevention policies and, of course, your financial buffer and cash flow.
Self-employed? Then you need disability insurance (AOV).
What does absence insurance cover?
Absenteeism insurance covers at least the costs of a sick employee for the first 2 years. In addition to the gross salary, these are also the employer's expenses. These consist of all additional costs on top of the gross salary such as social security contributions and pension contributions.
Some insurers also cover the cost of absence counseling and reintegration (Absenteeism Insurance). Coverage may vary from one insurer to another.
Who is absence insurance suitable for?
Absenteeism insurance is important for:
- SMEs. You are more vulnerable to the impact of long-term sick leave because of your limited financial buffers.
- Large companies. As an employer with many employees, you may have larger reserves, but the cost of sick leave can also add up quickly.
- Startups and growth companies. In the early stages, you want to prevent absenteeism costs from getting in the way of your growth.
- Nonprofit organizations. If you are dependent on budgets and grants, you want to minimize financial risk whenever possible.
What is absenteeism?
There are several types of absenteeism. The most common is sick leave. Absenteeism and sick leave are used interchangeably. Absenteeism is not always related to illness. It is an umbrella term for all forms of absence. Consider, for example, vacation or special leave.
In sick leave, an employee cannot work because of demonstrable medical reasons. These can be physical complaints such as the flu but also psychological clients and private circumstances.
Types of absence
There are different types of sick leave, namely:
- Short-term (frequent) sick leave
- Long-term sick leave
- Unauthorised absence
When an employee calls in sick, it is important for you as an employer to understand the reason for absenteeism. Sometimes the same employee reports sick several times a year (frequent short-term absenteeism). You know this by reviewing your own records and keeping in touch with your occupational health and safety service.
It is smart to take this repetition as a signal. Frequent short-term absence often precedes long-term absence. By understanding the reason, you can anticipate this and look for a solution to help your employee.
Alpina's absenteeism approach
Our solution consists of 4 components:
- Expert advice from experts
- Personalized sick leave counseling
- An online absenteeism platform
- A sick leave insurance policy
Our broad experience across industries and company sizes makes us unique. Because of our knowledge of absenteeism costs and strong purchasing position, we can offer lower premiums. Our in-house team of experts in employment services, absence management and insurance provides intensive, personalized support.
With our approach you demonstrably reduce sick leave and absenteeism costs, you get competitively priced insurance with excellent terms and conditions and you reduce the administrative burden thanks to our online absenteeism platform.
Get an absenteeism insurance quote
We are happy to provide you with a customized absence insurance quote without obligation. We will contact you within 1 business day. In order to provide a quote and take out absence insurance, we need some information about your company:
- The number of employees
- Annualized gross payroll
- The company data
- Your contact information
Furthermore, you need a Chamber of Commerce number and your company must be based in the Netherlands.
Compare absence benefits: get a quote with at least 5 insurances
The quote includes an overview of at least 5 different insurance policies. So you can easily compare the premium for absence insurance yourself. We work together with a.s.r, De Goudse, Nationale Nederlanden, Avero, elipsLife and Quantum Leben, among others.
For absence management and reintegration, we work with certified occupational health and safety services such as Alpina@Work, ArboNed and Perspectief. By using a single reporting absenteeism system, we ensure administrative convenience.
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Frequently asked questions about absence insurance
How can I calculate the premium of an absence insurance?
Absenteeism insurance premiums are calculated based on factors such as number of employees, total payroll, absenteeism rates and industry.
What does an average absence insurance policy cost?
The cost of absence insurance varies and depends on factors such as the number of employees, total payroll, absence history and the coverage chosen. On average, the premium is between 2% and 4% of the total wage bill.
Is absence insurance mandatory?
No, absence insurance is not mandatory. As an employer, you are required by law to continue paying wages for up to 2 years when an employee becomes ill. Absenteeism insurance helps to bear these financial burdens and can also support reintegration of the employee.
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