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Employment in Rotterdam
The city's employment base is concentrated in port operations, logistics, terminal handling, construction, manufacturing and the shift-based work that supports all of them. That produces a higher rate of musculoskeletal and shift-related long-term absence than an office economy, a heavy reliance on agency and payroll intermediaries for flexible capacity, and a workforce with a large share of migrant workers - which is where questions about overtime, rest periods and who employs whom concentrate.
Common employment problems in Rotterdam
Long-term sick leave and reintegration
The Wet verbetering poortwachter sets a fixed schedule: problem analysis by week 6, plan of action by week 8, notification to UWV by week 42, WIA application by week 93, and the wage-payment period ending at week 104. An employer behind on those can be made to keep paying beyond two years.
Disputes about suitable work
Where the original job involves lifting, nights or a safety-critical function, the argument is usually about what adapted work means. If you disagree with the company doctor's assessment, you can ask for a second opinion - that is the proper route rather than refusing the plan.
Agency and payroll contracts
Where you have worked through an intermediary, the first question is who your legal employer is, and whether a chain of contracts has been running across successive employers doing the same work.
Unpaid overtime and rest periods
Shift patterns, on-call arrangements and hours worked beyond the roster generate a large share of Rotterdam claims, particularly where the contract and the actual pattern of work have drifted apart.
Dismissal after two years of illness
The dismissal ban ends at two years, at which point termination on the ground of long-term incapacity becomes possible - through UWV rather than the court, at the regional office covering where you live.
Where a case would be heard
Rotterdam District Court
Rechtbank Rotterdam
Sits at: Wilhelminaplein 100-125, Rotterdam
The Rotterdam District Court also sits in Dordrecht.
How finding a lawyer in Rotterdam works
FindLawyer is a matching service operated by Leadvise Legal B.V., which is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. You send your situation and documents, FindLawyer reviews them and tells you honestly whether involving a lawyer is worth it, and if it is, introduces an independent English-speaking employment lawyer.
The lawyer decides whether to accept the matter, confirms their own fees and provides all legal advice. Any FindLawyer fee is explained before you decide anything, and the initial 15-minute matching call is free.
Read this first
Long-term sick leave and reintegration in Rotterdam
Your employer carries dated obligations during long-term illness. Missing them has consequences for the employer, not for you.
Read the full explanationEmployment law in Rotterdam: common questions
Can I be dismissed while on long-term sick leave?
Not for being ill, during the first two years. The protection does not apply if you refuse to cooperate with reintegration without good reason, and it ends after two years when dismissal for long-term incapacity becomes possible through UWV.
My employer never made a plan of action. Does that matter?
Yes, and it matters to them. The plan is due in week 8. Where the file shows the employer fell short, UWV can extend its wage-payment obligation beyond the two years as a sanction.
I work through an agency. Who do I bring a claim against?
That depends on who your legal employer is, which is not always the organisation whose site you work at. It is also worth checking whether a contract chain has been running across successive employers doing the same work.
Where would my case be heard?
At the Rotterdam District Court on Wilhelminaplein, by the subdistrict team, or in Dordrecht. Dismissal for economic reasons or long-term illness goes to UWV instead of the court.
Need an employment lawyer in Rotterdam?
FindLawyer reviews your documents, tells you honestly whether involving a lawyer is worth it, and selects a suitable independent lawyer if it is. The 15-minute matching call is free.
No obligation. Any FindLawyer fee is explained before you decide. The lawyer decides whether to accept the matter, confirms their own fees and provides all legal advice.
Employment law in other cities
Last reviewed 14 August 2026.