Better care for international employees

In the Netherlands, thousands of international employees work in sectors that are essential to the economy, such as healthcare, agriculture and logistics. Yet these indispensable workers run into obstacles when it comes to access to medical care. More and more employers are looking for ways to organize this well. One example is the collaboration between Covebo and Fonkelzorg International.

For migrant workers, finding care is often difficult. General practices are full, and language and cultural barriers make it hard to take the first step. "The problem became really visible to us when employees had to go to the emergency room instead of to a general practitioner (huisarts), which leads to unnecessary costs and inconvenience," says Kylie Lelieveld of employment agency Covebo.

The employment agency saw how difficult it was to arrange suitable care. In many cases it was not only a logistical problem, but also a cultural one: "Care in their own country is very different from what we are used to here in the Netherlands. The barrier is high, and it was often a huge challenge to get them to a general practitioner," Lelieveld explains.

The solution in sight

The solution came when Covebo got in touch with Fonkelzorg International, one of the initiatives in the Netherlands that explicitly offers care to international employees. Fonkelzorg's mission is to contribute to better general practitioner care in the Netherlands. Care for international employees has to be part of that. "The collaboration gives employees access to care in their own language. This not only makes it easier for them to get medical help, it also gives them more peace of mind," says Lelieveld.

Mayke Dankers, manager of Fonkelzorg International, sees that too: "Because our international medical assistants often come from the country of origin themselves, they know how healthcare works there. This means they can really stand beside the patient and explain how the healthcare system in the Netherlands works. In the Netherlands, for example, it is not a given that you get antibiotics, while people are used to that at home. It is good to hear that from someone who really understands where the patient comes from."

Koen Vogel, policy advisor for labor migration at ABU (Algemene Bond Uitzendondernemingen), stresses the value of this kind of collaboration: "Care for international employees is a challenge, but it is a responsibility that we as employers have to take. This is a good example of how employers can take on this responsibility. Of course, this can also be done together with other general practices that are open to it and have the capacity for it. This is a great example to inspire others."

Treating them like family

"The conditions in which you let migrant workers work should be conditions you would also want for your own children. We call this the child standard. Caring for your employees is crucial. If you take good care of them, you will see that they feel more valued, which in the end contributes to a better working climate and less absence," says Vogel. "As an employment agency, you are often the only point of contact for your employees, and it is essential that they have access to the right care. But that is exactly where the problem often lies: we see among our members that the barrier is mainly in access to general practitioner care. Many general practices are full."

Fonkelzorg International lowers that barrier for employers by being open to new registrations and by keeping the registration process easy. As a result, Dankers sees demand rising sharply, which in turn brings new challenges: "The challenge we run into is that we have to keep thinking carefully about geographical boundaries. We see that more and more people find us and that there is a need for accessible general practitioner care for international employees. Because we have a strong team that is culturally sensitive, that appeals to people, and we even get calls from Friesland asking whether someone can become a patient with us. We have to stay sharp here and, unfortunately, still say 'no' for now." This shows how great the need is and that initiatives like this one are indispensable in the Netherlands.

Benefits of the collaboration

For employment agencies that do have access to good care, the benefits are great. That also goes for the agency's own staff. "We notice that the workload for our coordinators has gone down," says Lelieveld. "We used to have to arrange everything ourselves: from interpreters to finding a general practitioner, which took a lot of time. Now we can put the care in the hands of a professional organization, which not only saves time but also leads to better care."

According to Vogel, the ABU is happy with this initiative and other initiatives for migrant workers. He hopes that this collaboration will inspire other employment agencies and general practices to also play an active role in looking after the health of their employees. "As employers, we have the responsibility to look after their well-being."

A win-win situation for everyone involved

The collaboration between Covebo and Fonkelzorg (in place since October 2022) has led to positive results for both the employees and the employer. Employees feel more supported, have access to care in their own language, and are quicker to seek medical help. This in turn has reduced sick leave and eased the workload for the coordinators. This initiative shows that good care for international employees is not only possible, but also a valuable investment in well-being, job satisfaction and lasting collaboration.