A UWV expert opinion can break a deadlock between you and your employer. But the question you submit, the timing and the supporting documents determine whether it helps or harms your position.
A UWV expert opinion (deskundigenoordeel) is an independent assessment by UWV of a specific question about your sick leave situation. It costs €100 and can be requested by both employee and employer. UWV uses its own insurance physician and/or labour expert to assess the question.
UWV assesses four standard questions: (1) Can the employee perform the offered work? (2) Is the employee cooperating sufficiently with reintegration? (3) Are the employer's reintegration efforts adequate? (4) Is the employee (still) incapacitated for work? You choose which question to submit — and this choice matters.
Think carefully about which of the four standard questions you submit. If your employer has stopped your salary because you refuse offered work, the question is: "Is the offered work suitable?" If you believe your employer has done too little for reintegration, ask about adequacy of reintegration efforts.
Include: the company doctor's latest report, your plan of action, relevant correspondence with your employer, and any medical documents that support your position. The better your file, the more informed UWV's assessment will be.
Apply through UWV's website or by phone. Pay the €100 fee. UWV will schedule an assessment — usually with an insurance physician, sometimes also a labour expert. You will be called for an examination.
The opinion is not binding, but carries significant weight. If UWV supports your position, share the result with your employer and use it to negotiate. If it is unfavourable, it does not automatically mean you lose — but it does weaken your position in any subsequent legal proceedings.
Wrong question: submitting the wrong question can produce an irrelevant answer. If the dispute is about suitable work but you ask about incapacity, UWV may answer a question that does not address the actual conflict.
Incomplete documentation: UWV can only assess what it sees. If you do not include relevant medical reports or correspondence, the assessment may be based on incomplete information.
Timing: requesting too late — after a salary stop has been in effect for months — reduces the practical impact. Request early, while the dispute is still developing.
Assuming it is binding: the expert opinion is advisory. Your employer is not obligated to follow it. But ignoring a UWV expert opinion is legally risky for the employer — courts take this seriously.
For salary claims during sick leave, yes — in most cases the court requires a UWV expert opinion before it will hear the case. Without one, the court may declare the case inadmissible. This makes the expert opinion a practical prerequisite for legal action.
Yes. Both employer and employee can request a UWV expert opinion. The employer pays €400 instead of €100. The question and supporting documents determine the scope of the assessment — not who requests it.
Processing times vary. In busy periods, 8 weeks or more is not unusual. If your situation is urgent (e.g. salary has been stopped), consider requesting a preliminary injunction at the subdistrict court in parallel. You do not have to wait for the expert opinion to take legal action in urgent cases.
MediRights helps employees prepare and strategically use UWV expert opinions in sick leave disputes.
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