At this supermarket, you get a bonus if you don’t call in sick
Have you worked hard all year and never called in sick? Then you get an extra perk at Hoogvliet supermarket. But is that really sensible during the coronavirus pandemic? The criticism is harsh.
Like all other supermarket chains, Hoogvliet supermarket is looking for new staff. Shelf stackers, cashiers, people for the meat and bakery departments—they can all apply for a job at Hoogvliet. Read the vacancy carefully and something stands out. People who don’t call in sick receive a bonus on top of their standard salary. Huh?
Hungover in bed
Hoogvliet is a supermarket chain with 71 stores in North Holland, South Holland, Utrecht and Gelderland. The chain currently has more than two hundred vacancies. When asked, Hoogvliet explains that it has been offering employees the no-sick-leave bonus since 1988. This is how they prevent the so-called ‘Monday morning sickness’, when employees call in sick after a wild weekend so they can recover from their hangover and catch up on sleep.
Claim that bonus
Not everyone is enthusiastic about such a health bonus. Especially during coronavirus times, it is wiser to call in sick, even with mild symptoms, than to simply go to work to claim that bonus. Trade union FNV told Nu.nl: ‘That’s a strange incentive: getting money because you’re not sick. Especially at a time like this.’ They see such a sick-leave penalty as an incentive to keep working while ill, causing people to be absent for longer or to become more seriously ill.
Discrimination
Legally speaking, such a bonus is allowed. Whether it is appropriate is another question. ‘It could be seen as discrimination against people who are sick,’ an employment lawyer told Nu.nl. ‘Moreover, it could cause employees to stay at home longer than necessary. They lose that bonus from their first day of illness anyway.’
Not pleased
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment also says that the ministry is not very pleased with this arrangement. Companies are responsible for their own policies regarding healthy and responsible working, but: ‘It is important that this does not encourage sick people to come to work anyway,’ says a spokesperson. Nor may the reward policy disadvantage people with a chronic illness or a disability.
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Source: Nu.nl
