{"id":5975,"date":"2025-07-11T14:29:07","date_gmt":"2025-07-11T11:29:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arbeidsadvocaat.nl\/an-employee-doesnt-show-up-for-an-appointment-with-the-company-doctor-what-should-you-do\/"},"modified":"2026-08-18T16:23:38","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T13:23:38","slug":"an-employee-doesnt-show-up-for-an-appointment-with-the-company-doctor-what-should-you-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arbeidsadvocaat.nl\/en\/an-employee-doesnt-show-up-for-an-appointment-with-the-company-doctor-what-should-you-do\/","title":{"rendered":"An employee doesn’t show up for an appointment with the company doctor: what should you do?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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No-show at the company doctor’s appointment: What can you do as an employer?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

An employee calls in sick and is invited by the occupational health and safety service to a consultation with the company doctor. But on the day of the appointment, there\u2019s no word: no cancellation, no message, and the employee doesn\u2019t show up. What now? A no-show can be frustrating, but it\u2019s important that you, as an employer, handle the situation carefully. In this blog, you\u2019ll learn what you should and, more importantly, shouldn\u2019t do. <\/p>\n\n

Start at the beginning: check to see if the invitation has arrived<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

Before taking any action, it\u2019s wise to first check the basics. Was the invitation addressed correctly? Was the employee informed of the meeting in a timely manner and at the correct address? Administrative errors happen more often than you might think, and can have unpleasant consequences if you take action based on them. <\/p>\n\n

Was the invitation sent correctly, and did your employee actually receive it? If so, call him and ask why he wasn\u2019t there. His response will determine how you proceed. In any case, have the occupational health and safety service schedule a new appointment, and consider confirming that date yourself via email or WhatsApp. <\/p>\n\n

Can you deduct the cost of the no-show from the employee’s salary?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

Most occupational health and safety services charge fees if an employee fails to show up. Although it is tempting to recover these costs from the employee through their wages, this is not permitted by law. Offsetting costs is permitted only under strict conditions, and failing to appear for an appointment with the company physician does not fall under those conditions in most cases. Even if your absence policy states that no-show fees are the employee\u2019s responsibility, this is not legally valid. <\/p>\n\n

The only exception is if you can prove that the employee acted intentionally or with willful recklessness. But that\u2019s a high bar to clear. In practice<\/a>, judges rarely accept this argument. <\/p>\n\n

Is termination an option in the case of a no-show?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

You cannot simply fire an employee who fails to fulfill their obligations while on sick leave. Certainly not after just one instance of failing to show up. Case law shows that judges will only uphold a dismissal in exceptional cases, such as when there is a pattern of non-cooperation and clear warnings have been ignored. A first no-show is therefore not a reason to immediately consider terminating the employment contract. <\/p>\n\n

What you can do: suspend pay<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

The law allows employers to withhold wages if an employee fails to comply with his or her testing requirements. This also applies if the employee fails to appear at the company doctor\u2019s office without a valid reason. It is important to first issue a clear warning: inform the employee that in the event of another no-show, their wages will be temporarily suspended until they cooperate. This gives them the opportunity to correct their behavior and ensures that you fulfill your own obligations as an employer. <\/p>\n\n

Please note: suspending wages is different from terminating wages. When you suspend wages, you temporarily withhold them until the employee fulfills their obligations. When you terminate wages, you permanently stop paying them, but this is only permitted under stricter conditions. <\/p>\n\n

Absence Policy: Ensure Clear Guidelines<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

A good approach starts with clear policies. In an absence policy, you can specify exactly what you expect from employees who are sick. This includes how to report sick leave, being available to answer questions, and the requirement to see the company doctor. It\u2019s important not only to draft these policies but also to actively bring them to employees\u2019 attention\u2014for example, via an email when they start work, during staff meetings, or through the intranet. That way, you can actually rely on them when necessary. <\/p>\n\n

In conclusion<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

A no-show at the company doctor\u2019s appointment is annoying, but certainly not an unsolvable problem. Start by verifying the facts, communicate clearly, and proceed carefully. With clear agreements and well-defined absence policies, you, as an employer, have a solid foundation for acting effectively and in compliance with the law in such situations. <\/p>\n\n

And don’t forget: the goal is\u2014and always will be\u2014reintegration. Ultimately, that’s what benefits both you and your employee the most. <\/p>\n\n

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This blog was written by Stijn Blom, Esq., an employment law attorney at Arbeidsadvocaat.nl B.V. Stijn has extensive experience in employment law and assists employers and employees on a daily basis with a wide range of employment law issues. From dismissal cases to drafting watertight agreements and policies\u2014with his practical and personalized approach, he helps employers and employees move forward. Want to learn more? Visit Stijn’s page<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n

Arbeidsadvocaat.nl is happy to assist you if you have any questions about the duty to provide information. Please feel free to contact us <\/a>. <\/p>\n\n

August 2026<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

No-show at the company doctor’s appointment: What can you do as an employer? An employee calls in sick and is invited by the occupational health and safety service to a consultation with the company doctor. But on the day of the appointment, there\u2019s no word: no cancellation, no message, and the employee doesn\u2019t show up. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":5978,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"navigation_state":true,"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclude"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arbeidsadvocaat.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5975","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arbeidsadvocaat.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arbeidsadvocaat.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arbeidsadvocaat.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arbeidsadvocaat.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5975"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/arbeidsadvocaat.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5975\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7277,"href":"https:\/\/arbeidsadvocaat.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5975\/revisions\/7277"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arbeidsadvocaat.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arbeidsadvocaat.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arbeidsadvocaat.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5975"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arbeidsadvocaat.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}