Overview
- This week the Social and Economic Council urged the government to introduce eight weeks of paid caregiver leave and the cabinet said it will not adopt that specific proposal.
- More than 5.5 million Dutch people provide informal care and about 2.5 million combine that care with paid work, placing large numbers of employees under pressure.
- A survey of over 6,000 caregivers found high strain, with three in ten people aged 18–45 reporting they became overburdened by caregiving tasks.
- Employers and insurers warn of rising staff absence and call for national action while some companies, like Univé, offer internal measures to give carers flexibility and early support.
- Caregivers also face a complex support system so private tools such as the Valtes app have emerged to help navigate services and municipalities are being urged to simplify access.