VVD: Employers not liable for workers injured on personal time

Currently, employers have to pay their workers when they take medical leave because of an injury they get outside of their job. This should not be the financial responsibility of employers, argues the VVD, but rather employees should purchase insurance to cover them in case of an accident. Employers may be reluctant to take on more staff because of the high costs and risks they run when hiring, particularly in the areas of disease and disability, the VVD said Thursday. Entrepreneurs spend too much time on paperwork and on handling issues related to human resources. This is especially relevant for small enterprises that could otherwise be investing their time into business activities, the party argues. A study by TNO Labor Monitor suggests that up to 70 percent of sick leave is not linked to work-related causes. It is not reasonable that employers are made responsible for all those accidents, the VVD wrote. However, businesses should remain responsible for all work-related accidents. The party proposes that under the new framework, workers insure themselves against incapacitating injuries that they receive on their own time. That would allocate risk premiums in a fairer way depending on the amount of risk an individual assumes in their daily life, the ruling VVD party said. The health insurance then does not need to be deducted from the workers' salary. Thus one can decide for themselves how much to spend on personal insurance, argues the party.