Are you ill or unable to work? Discuss as soon as possible with your manager when and how you can get back to work (at least partially). If necessary, the company doctor, the ergonomist and a P&O-advisor of your own umc can support you with this.
Re-integration
In this brochure you can read more about the steps involved in re-integration and your associated rights and obligations.
Consequences of income
Information about the financial consequences of an incapacity to work can be found in this brochure.
The 2024–2025 collective labour agreement for university medical centres (UMCs) included a provision to conduct research into the position of PhD candidates. This research has recently been completed. PhD students shared their experiences and identified bottlenecks in interviews and focus groups. Among other things, they indicated that supervision is not always adequate, that PhD programmes often run over schedule, and that there are concerns about work pressure, social safety and inequality in terms of employment conditions.
In addition to these bottlenecks, PhD candidates also proposed solutions themselves, such as clearer agreements on PhD requirements and extensions, better supervision and feedback structures, more attention to social safety and a fairer remuneration system.
What now?
The results of this study will be included in further discussions between the parties to the collective labour agreement. In addition, the findings and suggestions will be put on the agenda of the Graduate Schools and HR directors within the UMCs, so that improvements can also be made at institutional level.
This study represents an important step towards gaining a better understanding of the position of PhD candidates and working together on solutions that strengthen their position.
The study was conducted by a-advies on behalf of UMCNL and CNV, in collaboration with the Dutch PhD Network (PNN). The full report is available from UMCNL via umcnl@umcnl.nl.
UMCNL and the Dutch Association of Salaried Doctors (Landelijke vereniging van Artsen in Dienstverband, LAD) have been discussing Chapter 15 of the UMC cao in recent months. This chapter concerns the working conditions of the academic medical specialists. UMCNL and the LAD had agreed in the Cao UMC 2024-2025 to hold talks during the period of the current cao about the possibilities for modernising these working conditions.
Healthcare of the future
The current agreements on working conditions for medical specialists in the UMCs are based on the situation in 1999. The composition and circumstances of that professional group have changed in the meantime and are expected to continue changing in the future. In addition, the continuity of care is coming under pressure. That is why both the LAD and UMCNL want to come to new agreements that will better align with the changed world inside and outside the UMCs.
Heading towards cao negotiations
During their exploratory discussions, UMCNL and the LAD were inspired by the sessions organised in 2024 with various focus groups consisting of academic medical specialists and the jointly organised Work conference in December 2024. The following topics were covered in the exploratory discussions:
- Working hours
- Leave
- Generational policy
- Shifts
- Type of work
- Participation
The intention is to incorporate new agreements about Chapter 15 in a new, integral cao agreement. The LAD and UMCNL will individually determine their own input for the cao negotiations. And of course they will also consult their own members. As usual, the members of the LAD, just like members of other unions and the UMCs, will vote on the proposed new cao at the end of the negotiations.
Starting on 1 January 2026
Along with the agreement to hold talks, other agreements were made in the Cao UMC 2024-2025 that should take effect on 1 January 2026:
- Raising the age limit for working shifts to 62 (according to the gradation scheme specified in Article 15.13 of the cao).
- The associated change in the average weekly working hours.
- The possibility to voluntarily stop working shifts from the age of 59.
The talks held in the past few months between UMCNL and the LAD have produced a sound exploration of the steps needed to ensure modern, future-proof working conditions for academic medical specialists. They will be continued in the autumn as part of the cao negotiations.
UMC employees are getting a new cao. The members of four of the five unions involved have approved the negotiation result achieved on February 16. The unions had until March 18 to canvas their members’ opinion. Now it is just a question of signing it, and then the new cao is officially a fact. The agreements apply to all umc employees.
One of the five unions – the LAD – stated that it did not agree with the present negotiation result. In particular, it was not happy with the working conditions for medical specialists. It is now exploring whether there is support among its members if certain adjustments are made. It will discuss the outcome in the near future with the Netherlands Federation of University Medical Centres (NFU) that conducts the cao discussions on behalf of the umcs. Depending on the outcome, the LAD will or will not co-sign the cao. The NFU strives for the most broadly supported cao and hopes that all parties will ultimately approve it. But even without the LAD’s signature, this cao will be implemented.
The cao is valid through 31 December 2025. It includes agreements about commuting travel expenses, salary raises and compensations. Various agreements have also been made to support health and vitality: additional free time, the possibility to save hours ‘for later’, and each umc will have a generational policy. In addition, every umc is obliged to work on reducing and preventing unwanted behaviour.
On 1 May 2024, wages will increase by 4%, followed by another 3% in 2025. And compensation for changing into work clothes forms part of this cao. The starting dates of the different schemes vary because time is needed to work out the practical details in some cases. If no other date is specified, the cao applies with retroactive effect from January 1 of this year.
The NFU and the unions are still polishing off the definitive cao texts. The NFU will soon publish the new salary tables on its website.
The LAD union has now also approved the new cao umcs. On March 29, the members of the LAD agreed with a revised proposal of the NFU. The NFU is happy that there is an agreement that all of the unions approve of.
The LAD was not able to agree with the negotiation result previously because of changes proposed in chapter 15 of the cao. That chapter covers certain working conditions for medical specialists. The changes specifically address:
- Shifting the threshold of the maximum age for shift work from 60 to 62 years.
- Linked to it the average working time of 40 hours from the age of 60.
- The period of rest of 8 hours after a standby shift at night.
The NFU and the LAD have agreed for the duration of the cao to closely examine all of chapter 15. This means that the implementation of the shifting of the age threshold for shift work is postponed to 1 January 2026. That also applies to the associated average working time of 40 hours. In addition, the NFU and LAD will elaborate the implementation of the 8 hours of mandatory rest after standby shifts during the course of the cao.
The revised text of the negotiation result now goes to all of the unions for signing. The NFU will publish the definitive cao texts and the new salary tables on its website soon. The cao applies through 31 December 2025. Unless other dates are specified, the cao applies with retroactive effect from 1 January 2024.