Offered a UWV trial placement? Check permission, hours and the subsequent contract

1. First establish what arrangement is actually being offered

Ask whether the offer concerns a UWV trial placement, an employment contract with a probationary period, or simply an introductory meeting. These terms have different consequences. Retaining benefits is part of the UWV trial-placement scheme, and UWV decides whether to grant permission. An ordinary probationary period in an employment contract, by contrast, takes place within an existing employment relationship, with its own rules on validity and termination.

An employer may use the words on trial without thereby creating a UWV arrangement. Ask who will apply, when UWV will decide and on what basis you are expected to start without wages. Without confirmed permission, you cannot assume that the scheme applies. If you have already worked and a dispute arises about wages or the employment relationship, have those specific facts assessed separately; this overview does not determine the outcome.

2. Who is the UWV route intended for?

The current UWV trial-placement page lists WAO, WIA, WAZ, Wajong, Ziektewet, WW and IOW benefits. Having a listed benefit does not mean every application is automatically approved. UWV also assesses whether this instrument is necessary and appropriate in the individual situation.

The published UWV Trial Placement Policy Rules 2023 require, among other things, that the work suits the benefit recipient's capabilities and abilities. UWV's current explanation states that a placement is not possible when it is clear that the person can do the work without a trial placement. An expected end to a Ziektewet sickness benefit may also lead to refusal. Discuss not only your availability, but also the purpose of working on a trial basis.

Previous work for the same employer needs particular attention. UWV describes the starting point as not having worked in the same role for that employer before; the policy rules also address earlier trial placements and changed circumstances. Give UWV a complete account of a previous working relationship. Do not omit it simply because the job title has since changed.

3. Obtain permission and read the decision before starting

UWV describes an application that the worker completes through Mijn UWV, forwards to the employer for signature and then submits to UWV. For government and education workers, the UWV page mentions a separate form for permission during WW unemployment benefit. Check which form applies to your position rather than using an arbitrary example found online.

UWV usually informs you within two weeks whether the placement is permitted, but expressly says it can take longer, for example where suitable work needs to be investigated. This is no guarantee that permission automatically exists after fourteen days. Do not base the intended start solely on an appointment in the employer's diary.

Keep the application, signatures and decision together. Check the employer, role, start and end dates, working hours and any conditions. If anything is unclear, ask UWV before actually starting. A verbal expectation of a future contract does not replace the decision. The Dutch government's explanation of help with finding work also confirms that UWV must grant permission.

4. Clarify income, expenses and insurance

The placement involves unpaid activities while retaining benefits. That differs from an ordinary wage agreement. The policy rules explain that expenses actually incurred may be reimbursed. UWV mentions arrangements for travel costs, for example, and requires the employer to take out liability insurance for the worker.

Ask which travel costs will be reimbursed, what supporting documents are needed and when payment will be made. Also establish whom to contact following an accident or damage. This insurance requirement does not mean every possible loss is automatically covered; the policy terms and the specific event matter.

Retaining benefits also does not mean that payments continue regardless of all other rules. UWV warns that benefits can end during the placement, for example when the maximum benefit period is reached. Ask about your income throughout the entire intended period. Do not make a prediction based solely on the planned end date of the trial work.

5. Two months is the starting point; an extension needs a reason

UWV normally uses a two-month period. In special circumstances, a longer placement may be needed to assess whether someone can manage the work. Current guidance and the policy rules specify a maximum of six months and an individual assessment. Personal circumstances, limitations and the complexity of the work may be relevant. The employer does not have a general free choice to arrange six months in every case.

Illness during the placement may justify extending it by the period of illness, within the maximum. UWV states that holiday is not grounds for that extension. Discuss illness, changed capacity for work or a request to continue for longer with UWV and the employer in good time. Do not assume that the same permission covers every change without further checking.

A useful practical arrangement is to discuss well before the end what still needs assessing and when a decision on employment will be clear. This discussion is preparation; it does not automatically change the duration permitted by UWV.

6. Check the subsequent contract, not just the promise

The employer must have a serious intention to offer an employment contract of at least six months immediately afterwards if you perform well. It must cover at least the same number of hours as the placement. The policy rules also specify a subsequent contract without a probation clause or an agency-work termination clause (uitzendbeding). UWV's current page expressly states that no probationary period may be agreed after a trial placement.

This is a reason to compare a later offer in substance with the original arrangement. If you are offered fewer hours, a shorter term or a new probation clause, for example, ask for an explanation and have the offer assessed. Merely calling something a contract offer does not establish that it fits the placement conditions. Use the existing employment contract checklist to organise the other terms.

The intention requirement is not an unconditional guarantee that every trial placement leads to a job. Performance and the assessment of the placement matter. If no subsequent contract is offered, it is important to establish what was promised beforehand, what actually happened and what reason is given for the lack of an offer. This article does not award compensation or an employment contract.

7. Fictional example: an offer for fewer hours

Nadia receives a UWV benefit and obtains permission for a two-month trial placement of twenty hours a week. The employer talks about a subsequent six-month contract. In the final week, however, she receives an offer for twelve hours with a new probationary period. This is a fictional example, not an account of a real case.

Nadia cannot assess the proposal solely on the fact that a job is being offered. She compares the hours and duration with the application and decision, keeps the new proposal and asks the employer for an explanation. The combination of fewer hours and a new probation clause raises specific questions about compliance with the placement conditions. She then discusses them with UWV and, if necessary, an employment-law adviser.

The example does not mean Nadia automatically qualifies for a particular sum or that every differing offer has the same outcome. The circumstances and documents need examining. It does show why checking should begin before the placement ends.

8. Preparation sheet for your discussion with the employer and UWV

Use this preparation sheet on paper or in your own document. This article does not store any information or calculate benefit entitlement.

• Compare the invitation with the actual UWV decision before starting.
• Keep the signed application and arrangements on hours, expenses and guidance.
• Arrange an evaluation before the permitted period ends.
• Report uncertainties or changed circumstances to UWV instead of assuming permission yourself.
• Check a subsequent contract for duration, hours and an unwanted new probation or agency-work termination clause.
• Seek appropriate assistance in a dispute and keep the documents factual; do not unnecessarily share medical information with the employer.