It gives you a chance to gain experience and prove yourself in a job. You get to work for an employer for 2 months while keeping your UWV benefit. This means your employer will not have to pay you a salary during this period.

• You are currently receiving an UWV benefit and it will be difficult for you to find work without a trial placement.
• You have not worked for this potential employer before.
• You have worked for this employer before but performed a different role in the organisation in the past.
• You worked for this employer before in the same role, but this was before you became ill. The trial placement will help you see whether you are able to do this job with your current illness.

Your employer must sign a statement of intent (‘intentieverklaring’) before your trial placement begins. This guarantees you will be offered a contract for at least 6 months if the trial placement goes well. You will work the same number of hours as you did during your trial placement.

Please note: Your employer cannot put a probation period (‘proeftijd’) in the employment contract if you passed your trial placement.

To seek permission for a trial placement, complete the Permission form for a trial placement (‘Aanvragen proefplaatsing’). Make sure your employer signs the statement of intent on the form as well. Then, send the form by post to a Werkplein in your area. Or, if you are receiving a sickness benefit, send the form to an UWV office in your area.

If your employer thinks a longer trial placement is necessary, they will need to seek our permission for this on the form. Your employer must provide good reasons as to why they need more time to evaluate whether you are right for the job.

We will let you know whether you are entitled to a trial placement within 2 weeks of you sending us the form. This could take longer if we need more information from you.