Provide a safe workplace with maternity cover

Maternity cover helps to ensure a healthy and safe environment for mother and child; from a timely risk assessment to a comfortable lactation room.

Make an appointment for a risk assessment

On this page:

What is maternity cover?

Maternity cover refers to all measures aimed at protecting pregnant or breastfeeding employees and their (unborn) children from workplace health risks. As an employer, you are legally obliged to have a policy on maternity cover.
More specifically, this involves a risk assessment, medical examination and clear rules on breastfeeding. 

An embryo is most susceptible to damage from environmental factors during the first eight weeks of pregnancy. This is why you should inform your employer of your pregnancy as early as possible.

How do you go about a risk assessment?

A risk assessment is the first step in establishing maternity cover and identifies the risks for pregnant and breastfeeding employees. As an employer, you are legally obliged to carry out such a risk assessment, even if none of your employees are pregnant yet or you only have male employees.

What to you go about it?

  • Identify the risks: examples include chemicals, extreme temperatures and physical loads or overexertion.
  • Consult your occupational doctor: discuss which measures will be required.
  • Adapt the workplace: notify your team of the actions implemented.

Request a maternity cover risk assessment through your regional IDEWE office

When is a medical examination necessary?

Does the risk assessment indicate health risks for the employee, unborn child or infant? In that case, a medical examination is required.

What will happen during the medical examination?

  • The occupational doctor assesses the workplace risks.
  • The occupational doctor also advises on adjustments to, for example, working conditions or working hours or proposes other measures.

Learn more about this examination in your My IDEWE customer area.

How can you make an appointment for a medical examination?

As an employer

As an employee

You can request your own medical examination if:

  • you are experiencing health symptoms which you or your treating physician believe to be work-related.
  • you feel some or all of the elements of your reintegration plan no longer correspond to your state of health.

Appointments for a medical examination are made in accordance with the agreements between your employer and IDEWE. Ask your employer or your regional IDEWE office how to do so.

What should you take with you to the examination?

  • Bring a certificate issued by your gynaecologist or general practitioner with your expected date of delivery and how many children your are expecting, or a breastfeeding certificate issued by your general practitioner or Kind en Gezin.  
  • Are you exposed to chemicals at work? Bring a list of the substances to which you are exposed.
  • Are you exposed to biological agents such as bacteria or viruses? Bring the results of your blood test.

Maternity cover in practice? 

Read the story of Scholengroep Dirk Martens

Is your employee entitled to breastfeeding leave?

Is your employee breastfeeding? In that case, the employee may take breastfeeding leave following the maternity leave.

  • Breastfeeding mothers, who are exposed to occupational risks, are eligible for paid breastfeeding leave.
  • Breastfeeding mothers for whom no occupational risks have been identified are not eligible for paid breastfeeding leave. Employers can also grant such leave voluntarily. In principle, the leave will then be unpaid. 

Learn more in your My IDEWE customer area.

There are also other special leave arrangements available for parents, such as parental leave or time credit. For more details, see the website of the National Employment Office.

Is your employee entitled to breastfeeding breaks?

Employees are entitled to breastfeeding breaks until their child is nine months old. 

  • If you work at least 7 hours and 30 minutes a day, you have a right to two half-hour breastfeeding breaks.
  • If you work less than 7 hours and 30 minutes, but more than four hours a day, you have a right to one half-hour break.

As an employer, you are obliged to give mothers the time they need to breastfeed or pump. You must also provide a suitable lactation room where they can do so undisturbed. Your prevention advisor or occupational doctor can help you to set up this room correctly.

A few minimum requirements:

  • There should be a comfortable chair. There should also be a refrigerator, ideally one with a freezer to store ice packs.
  • The room should be in an inconspicuous location and it should not be possible to look inside. It must also have a lock.
  • The room should have adequate lighting, ventilation and heating.
  • Cold and hot water should be available.

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