Being sick as a working student can feel like a grey area, as if it matters less because you're not full-time anyway. It isn't. A working student is an employee, and the rules on continued pay during sickness apply to employees with a permanent or fixed-term contract and to on-call workers with an employment contract [1].
Do working students get paid when they're sick?
Yes. In the first year of sickness you receive, according to the Dutch government, at least 70% of your wage and at least the minimum wage; a collective agreement or your employment contract may offer more [2]. In the second year the employer pays at least 70%, without topping up to the minimum wage [2]. The employer pays for a maximum of two years (104 weeks) [1].
Does it still apply if you only work 16 hours a week?
The number of hours doesn't change the right to continued pay, only the amount: the percentage applies to the wage you would have received had you not been sick [1]. A working student on 16 hours a week who falls ill therefore receives 70% of the wage for those 16 hours, with the minimum-wage floor in the first year of sickness [2].
How does this differ from an on-call contract?
For an on-call worker, according to the Dutch government, you sometimes keep the right to continued pay, or receive a Sickness Benefits Act benefit from UWV; that depends on the type of on-call contract [3]. With a fixed number of hours a week, it's simpler to establish what is paid.
Do you still need to report sick if you only miss an exam?
You report sick to your employer; how and when is often set out in your contract or your employer's absence rules. Missing an exam because of illness is a matter between you and your university or college, separate from your work. Report sick to your employer the way you would on a normal working day, even if it coincides with an exam week.
What if your employer says sick leave “doesn't count” on a working-student contract?
That's not right: continued pay during sickness applies to employees with a fixed-term contract and to on-call workers with an employment contract [1]. If you run into this, ask for the reasoning, or check it against your contract and the collective agreement.
Why this is our starting point
A working student has the same rights as any other employee, sickness included. VOIDS wants candidates to know what they're entitled to. Wages are paid by the employer.
Sources
- Ondernemersplein (Rijksoverheid): Loon (salaris) doorbetalen bij ziekte, accessed 11 October 2026.
- Rijksoverheid: Hoeveel loon krijg ik doorbetaald als ik ziek ben?, accessed 11 October 2026.
- Rijksoverheid: Welke contracten zijn er voor oproepkrachten?, accessed 11 October 2026.
Transparency: VOIDS connects working students with organisations and therefore has an interest in this topic. We back up facts with sources and connect research and trends to our own experience from practice.
