You are on sick leave and your employer warns that your salary will be stopped. Whether by letter or in a meeting — the threat alone is stressful. But is it actually justified?
You have been ill for a while. Reintegration is difficult, or there is disagreement about what you can and cannot do. Then you receive a letter or email: if you do not comply within a certain deadline, your salary will be stopped.
Perhaps it concerns a missed appointment with the company doctor. Or your employer feels you are not cooperating sufficiently with reintegration. Or you declined work that you question is truly suitable for your condition.
The threat of a salary stop is one of the most powerful tools an employer has. It directly affects your income and therefore your financial security. But a threat is not yet a measure — and not every threat is justified.
This is precisely the moment to know where you stand. How you respond now often determines how the situation develops further. This relates directly to the broader situation of salary being stopped.
Some employers use the threat as a tool to push you to reintegrate faster than is medically responsible. They hope the fear of losing income motivates you to do more — regardless of what the company doctor advises.
A written warning with a salary stop threat is also a file document. Employers planning to terminate later build their case this way. The threat serves not only to mobilise you but also to prepare for a next step.
Sometimes there is a misunderstanding about your obligations. The employer thinks you are not cooperating, while you are following the company doctor's advice. That difference in perception leads to a threat that better communication could have prevented.
As long as your employer only threatens, your salary continues. But take the threat seriously. A written warning is often a legally required step before an employer may actually stop your salary. It is simultaneously a warning and a preparation.
A valid warning must specifically state: what behaviour the employer considers a shortcoming, what you must do to prevent the salary stop, within what timeframe, and what measure will follow. "We expect more effort" is not a valid warning. Read more about the difference between salary stop and salary suspension.
If you are following the pace the company doctor prescribes, your employer has a weak position to threaten a salary stop. The company doctor determines your work capacity, not your employer. If your employer still threatens, it is advisable to report this to the company doctor.
A verbal threat is legally weaker than a written warning. But do not take it lightly. Ask your employer to confirm the threat in writing — this forces them to be specific and gives you a document to respond to.
Send an email the same day or the next in which you respond to the threat. Confirm that you are willing to cooperate with reintegration and ask for clarification of what exactly is expected of you.
Ask your employer in writing which legal ground (art. 7:629 of the Dutch Civil Code) is being cited and which specific behaviour is considered a shortcoming. Without a concrete basis, a salary stop is not legally valid.
Inform the company doctor about the threat. If the company doctor confirms that you are following the reintegration advice, this is powerful evidence in your favour. Ask the company doctor to record this in writing.
Honestly assess whether you are meeting all your obligations. Have you attended the company doctor? Are you cooperating with the action plan? If there is a shortcoming, address it immediately and confirm this in writing.
If there is a disagreement about your work capacity or reintegration efforts, you can request a UWV expert opinion. This costs EUR 100 and provides an independent assessment.
If the threat appears unjustified or is part of a broader conflict, legal guidance can make a difference. A letter from a legal adviser can bring the employer to reconsider before the situation escalates — sometimes the threat is a signal that your employer wants to get rid of you.
"The company doctor says I can work 4 hours per day. My employer wants me full-time and threatens a salary stop if I don't comply."
The company doctor determines your work capacity. If the company doctor advises 4 hours per day, you do not need to work full-time. A salary stop for following the company doctor's advice is generally not legally valid. Report the threat to the company doctor and respond in writing.
"It says I'm 'insufficiently cooperating with reintegration' but doesn't specify what I should do differently. Now they threaten a salary stop."
A vague warning is legally weak. The employer must be specific about what behaviour they see as a shortcoming and what you should do to prevent the measure. Request written clarification and confirm your willingness to cooperate.
"During a reintegration meeting, my manager said they would stop my salary if I don't increase my hours soon. Nothing was put in writing."
A verbal threat carries less legal weight. But take it seriously. Send an email immediately summarising the conversation: "Following our meeting, I understand that you are considering..." This records the threat and forces your employer to respond.
"My employer threatens a salary stop while also offering a settlement agreement. It feels like they want to force me to sign."
This is a common pattern. The salary stop threat is used as leverage to push you towards a settlement agreement. Never sign under pressure. Have both the settlement agreement and the salary stop threat assessed independently by a legal adviser.
A salary stop threat is a turning point in your sick leave process. It is often the moment when the relationship with your employer changes permanently. How you respond now determines whether the situation escalates or remains manageable.
MediRights assesses whether the threat holds up legally. We analyse the warning letter, test the basis against the law and the company doctor's advice, and determine whether your employer is following the correct procedure.
If the threat is unjustified, we help you refute it in writing with proper legal arguments. If there is a shortcoming on your side, we advise how to remedy it before the situation escalates. In both cases, you protect your position.
Have the threat assessed before it escalates. How you respond now determines your position throughout the process.
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