CNV calls for statutory bereavement leave
The trade union is calling for flexible, paid leave after the death of a loved one.
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CNV is calling for a statutory bereavement-leave scheme. The trade union says employees often feel pressure to return to work quickly after a death, while current law provides no general bereavement leave.
CNV wants employees to have the right to bereavement leave after the death of a loved one, with flexibility over when it is taken. The trade union cites two weeks as a starting point in existing information, but it remains unclear exactly what the proposed statutory scheme should look like.
The Netherlands has no general statutory bereavement leave. Employees can sometimes use emergency leave or special leave, and collective labour agreements may contain additional arrangements. As a result, the duration and payment vary by sector, employer and family relationship.
FNV likewise writes that bereavement leave is not regulated by law and that an employer may reject a request when the collective labour agreement or employment contract contains no provision. This makes access unequal for employees in comparable personal circumstances.
A statutory scheme would shift some responsibility from individual employers to the legislature. From the perspective of employees, recovery and equal rights argue in favour of such a scheme. From the perspective of employers, costs, feasibility and the length of the leave may be areas of concern.
The essence of the news is therefore a new call from CNV, not an adopted bill. No parliamentary document, cabinet decision or fully developed bill has yet been found in public sources. It is therefore uncertain how much political support the plan has and when formal consideration might follow.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- CNV is calling for statutory arrangements on flexible bereavement leave.
- Dutch law provides no general right to bereavement leave.
- Collective labour agreements and employment contracts may contain additional arrangements.
Left
Arguments A statutory scheme should protect employees from pressure to return to full-time work immediately after a loss.
Values Equal rights, solidarity and employee protection.
Consequences Employers would face additional obligations, but employees would be less dependent on their collective labour agreement or individual employer.
Centre
Arguments A scheme may be desirable, but should allow room for tailored solutions and differences between situations.
Values Feasibility, proportionality and social protection.
Consequences A limited statutory basis with additional collective-agreement arrangements could combine protection with flexibility.
Right
Arguments Employers and employees can best arrange bereavement leave themselves or by sector.
Values Freedom of contract, responsibility and limiting regulation.
Consequences More scope for tailored arrangements would remain, but employees without good collective-agreement provisions would have less certainty.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved with corrections · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The existing legal situation has been confirmed by CNV and FNV. CNV’s precise new proposals have not been sufficiently developed in public, and have therefore been worded cautiously.
- confirmed The Netherlands has no general statutory bereavement leave. — CNV and FNV explicitly describe this. source
- confirmed CNV is calling for flexible, paid bereavement leave. — CNV states this on its own thematic page. source
- uncertain A fully developed bill has been submitted. — No public parliamentary document was found to support this. source
1 correction(s) applied
- Was: CNV wants to introduce statutory bereavement leave.Now: CNV is calling for a statutory bereavement-leave scheme. (No publicly adopted or fully developed bill has been found.)
Editor's note
It is certain that CNV and FNV observe that general statutory bereavement leave is lacking. A fully developed new proposal and independent reporting on the call could not be found.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „rouwverlof cnv”
- AD — „rouwverlof cnv”
- de Volkskrant — „rouwverlof cnv”