Maternity Rights in the Netherlands: What Every International Parent Needs to Know

Are you pregnant in the Netherlands — and not sure what your rights at work actually are?You are not alone. This is the most asked-about topic in international parent communities, and in this episode we finally get it answered properly — by an employment lawyer.Eva sits down with Ferline van Laerhoven, founder of Fair Line Law and Dutch employment law specialist, who has spent a decade working with international companies and employees in the Netherlands. In this conversation they cover:→  When you are legally required to tell your employer you're pregnant→  Whether employers are allowed to ask if you're pregnant (even in a job interview)→  Medical appointments and prenatal checks — are they paid time?→  What workplace adjustments employers must legally provide→  Night shifts, overtime and physically demanding work during pregnancy→  Extra paid rest breaks — the legal right most people don't know they have→  Sick leave during pregnancy: why it is treated differently, and why you get 100%→  How sick leave interacts with maternity leave length→  What happens after maternity leave ends if you're still unwell (including PPD/PPA)→  The 16 weeks: how it splits, how it's applied for, and the WAZO process→  Permanent contracts, temporary contracts, part-time and freelancer rights→  What non-renewal of a contract while pregnant really means legally→  Miscarriage before and after 24 weeks — what Dutch law says right now→  The Amsterdam and Utrecht grievance policy — and what it means nationally→  Stillbirth rights and bereavement leave→  Documentation, complaint timelines and what to do when things go wrong→  Partner leave — the full 6-week pictureRESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Fair Line Law — employment lawyer specialising in pregnancy and parenthood at workWebsite: www.fairlinelaw.nl  Instagram: @fairlinelaw    Email: [email protected] Loket — free basic legal advice (income-dependent): www.juridischloket.nlUWV — Employee Insurance Agency, maternity benefit questions: www.uwv.nl Dam Parenting Podcast — questions and community: [email protected] leave episode coming soon — send your questions to [email protected] or DM us on Instagram.