Rights and duties As a member of a household you have basic care responsibilities. As a roommate / family member, you share responsibility for household tasks, such as cooking, cleaning, and doing groceries. As a parent, you are in charge of the care and upbringing of your child. And as a partner, you are expected to provide nursing care in times of need for a period of 3 months. This includes i.e. help with bathing, dressing, and going to the toilet. This basic care is not obligated by law, but it is expected. When deciding on the right care, your municipality will look at what you can do to assist. This will impact the amount of professional help that you are offered. Providing informal care to your loved-ones may seem like a natural extension of these responsibilities, but it is not an obligation. Informal care goes much further than regular household tasks and can be very demanding. If for whatever reason you are unable or unwilling to fulfil your loved-ones care needs, it’s the responsibility of the municipality to find alternative solutions. This also applies to basic care tasks. You are in your right to insist that alternatives are sought. Care leave Everyone has the right to take care leave from work. This right is dictated in the ‘Wet Arbeid en Zorg’ (Work and Care Act). There are three different types of care leave:

• Emergency care leave
• Short-term care leave
• Long-term care leave

Emergency care leave If for instance your child suddenly falls ill or one of your family members needs to be taken to the hospital unexpectedly, you can take emergency care leave. This leave allows you to handle urgent matters, lasting from a few hours to several days. You can request emergency care leave with your employer, who is obligated to accept a reasonable request. Your salary will continue to be paid during this leave unless otherwise specified in your collective labour agreement (CAO). Short-term care leave If you suddenly need to care for a loved-one you can apply for short-term care leave. This is also an option if existing care needs become increasingly demanding and you feel overwhelmed. You can take this leave in consultation with your employer. The amount of leave allowed each year is twice your weekly working hours. For instance, if you work 24 hours a week, you are entitled to 48 hours of leave per year. During short-term care leave you can receive 70% of your salary or at least minimum wage. Long-term care leave If you need to take care of a loved-one for an extended period of time, you may take long-term care leave. Each year you are entitled to six times your weekly working hours. Unless otherwise specified in your CAO, your employer is not required to pay your wage during long-term care leave. Unemployment Benefit If you receive unemployment benefit you have a duty to apply for jobs. However, as an informal caregiver you don’t need to do this for the first 6 months that you receive benefit. You can use this period to find a different solution for the care that you provide. In special cases, the Employees Insurance Agency (UWV) can extend this period by one month at a time. After that, you must start applying for jobs again. If you were paid from the personal budget (PGB) of the person you cared for, the time you spent providing this care might count toward your work history. This is called mantelzorgforfait (informal care work credit). It could mean you qualify for unemployment benefit for a longer period.