Custom absence management software development
Appfront builds custom absence management software for employers and occupational health services: from sickness and recovery notifications to absence records, the steps and deadlines under the Dutch Gatekeeper Improvement Act (Wet verbetering poortwachter), collaboration with occupational health services and company doctors, and tracking of absence rate and notification frequency. Built with privacy compliance in mind, so only the data an employer is permitted to record is captured, with integration into your HR and payroll system. For HR departments, SMEs through to large employers, and occupational health services that want to manage absence carefully and demonstrably.
What is absence management software?
Absence management software supports the entire process of sickness absence: from the sick notification and building an absence file, through the steps and deadlines under the Gatekeeper Improvement Act (Wet verbetering poortwachter) and collaboration with the occupational health service and company doctor, to the recovery notification and tracking key figures such as absence rate and notification frequency. Everything serves one purpose: managing absence promptly, carefully and demonstrably, without recording sensitive data that you as an employer are not permitted to register.
Off-the-shelf packages often force your way of working into a rigid mould. Absence management, however, differs from organisation to organisation: in the absence protocol, in the choice between managing cases in-house or working through the occupational health service, and in how line managers, HR and case managers collaborate. Custom absence management software adapts to your process rather than the other way around, and can evolve as the law or your way of working changes. This prevents shadow administration in loose spreadsheets and keeps the file complete and traceable.
Because this involves sensitive personal data, we build for privacy compliance from the architecture up: the software only records what is permitted and keeps medical data separate from the employer environment. This page focuses specifically on absence and absence management. If you want to organise wider personnel administration, see custom HR software, and for scheduling and deploying staff, see workforce planning software. All options start with custom software development.
One file per employee
Sick notifications, contact moments, gatekeeper steps, documents and recovery notifications in one coherent absence file. HR and line managers work in one place and keep track, without re-keying data from separate systems or folders.
Gatekeeper as a workflow
The steps and deadlines of the Gatekeeper Improvement Act appear as tasks with alerts. This helps you address problem analysis, action plans and evaluations on time, reducing the risk of a wage sanction.
Recorded with privacy in mind
The software only records what an employer is permitted to register and keeps medical data with the company doctor. Role-based authorisation and complete logging make it visible who has viewed which file.
How we build your absence management software
We work step by step and involve your HR team, case managers and privacy officer early in the process. From a thorough review of your absence protocol, roles and integrations through to go-live and ongoing management, every step is aimed at software your organisation understands, trusts and can demonstrably use with care.
We map out your process: the absence protocol, the roles of HR, line manager and case manager, collaboration with the occupational health service, and integrations with HR and payroll. Together we determine which data you may and want to record, and what should be left out.
We design the architecture, case model and permissions model with data minimisation and a strict separation between employer data and medical data, plus the approach to logging, retention periods and integrations.
We build in short iterations with automated testing, structured logging and monitoring. You see working versions along the way and help steer priorities and alignment with the practice of your absence management.
Controlled go-live with data validation and a safety net, followed by ongoing management, monitoring and further development as your working methods or the laws and regulations change.
What absence management software actually does
We tailor each application specifically to your absence protocol, roles and chain partners. Below are the functionalities we most often deliver for employers and occupational health services that manage absence.
Sickness and recovery notifications
A simple sickness report by a line manager or employee, with the case file created automatically and a recovery notification as soon as someone has recovered. Partial recovery and return to work are supported, so the picture is always up to date.
Absence rates and signals
Absence percentage, average duration and reporting frequency by team or department at a glance, with signals for frequent and long-term absence. This helps you spot patterns early and have the conversation before absence becomes long-term.
Gatekeeper Improvement Act tasks
The steps and deadlines of the Gatekeeper Improvement Act as monitored tasks: problem analysis, action plan, evaluations, the 42-week notification to UWV (the Dutch employee insurance agency) and the reintegration report. You attach documents directly to the case.
Occupational health service & company doctor
A separate working environment for the company doctor and occupational health service, in which consultation notes and medical data are recorded without the employer having access. The employer sees only the non-medical advice needed for support.
Tasks and deadline monitoring
Tasks, reminders and appointments for line managers, HR and case managers, with monitoring of statutory and internal deadlines. This ensures no step goes unnoticed and that the progress of reintegration remains visible and traceable.
Reporting & accountability
Aggregated management information on absence, processing times, ongoing cases and Gatekeeper progress, based on minimised data. This supports policy and accountability towards the board while preserving privacy.
Who we build absence management software for
Absence is managed by different organisations and roles, each with its own task in the process. For each of these we build software that suits that task, your absence protocol and your collaboration with the occupational health service and company doctor.
HR departments
HR teams that oversee the absence process, track Gatekeeper steps and steer on absence figures. The software gives an overview of all ongoing cases and supports collaboration with line managers and the occupational health service. For the wider personnel administration, this ties in with custom HR software development.
SMEs to large employers
Employers from small to large that want to manage absence in-house. The software scales from a few teams to organisations with many locations, with roles for line managers and central steering for HR and the board.
Occupational health services
Occupational health services that deliver absence support and consultations for multiple employers. With a separate medical environment, data separation per client and robust logging, company doctors and case managers can fulfil their role without employers seeing more than is permitted.
Line managers & case managers
The people who support absence day to day. They get a clear workflow with tasks and deadlines, and exactly the access that suits their role, so contact moments and appointments are recorded without unnecessary access to sensitive data. For complex deployment and rostering, this ties in with custom planning and scheduling software development.
Test your idea first: a working prototype in 1 day
With OneDayBuild, we turn your idea into something tangible in one day for €1,150, so you can see whether further development is worth the investment. Decide to go ahead with the full build? Then we credit the full cost.
Explore OneDayBuild →Technology and integrations
We build with a modern, maintainable web stack and integrate with your existing systems where needed. For absence management, the most relevant integrations are with your HR or HRM system and payroll administration, plus secure exchange with the occupational health service. We set up every integration with data minimisation: only the fields that are needed are exchanged, and medical data stays separate from the employer environment. You manage the wider personnel data through custom HR software.
If you use Buddee and want leave and absence in your own planning, see our page on a Buddee integration.
Why choose Appfront for your absence management software?
Appfront builds custom software and always begins with a thorough analysis of your processes, absence protocol and roles. Absence management software needs to be technically sound, but also fit the care and privacy rules within which your HR team and line managers work.
We build in privacy by design and data minimisation from the architecture stage, and we write clear documentation so that your own team or a future supplier can understand and manage the software. No black box: transparent code and clear agreements on access control, logging, monitoring and maintenance.
You work with a dedicated point of contact who understands both the technology and the practice of absence management. This keeps lines of communication short, prevents misunderstandings and speeds up decisions when choices need to be made during development.
See also our related services: custom HR software, workforce planning software and the wider custom software development. Do you have questions? Get in touch with us.
- Custom absence management software, tailored to your absence protocol
- Privacy by design: only permitted data is recorded
- Strict separation between employer and medical data
- Gatekeeper steps and deadlines managed as a monitored workflow
- Integrations with HR, HRM and payroll systems
- Role-based authorisation and comprehensive audit logging
- Built to GDPR and proven security standards
- Clear documentation your team can read and manage
- A fixed point of contact, no account managers passed around
- Ongoing maintenance and development as the law changes
Security and privacy in absence management software
Absence involves sensitive personal data, and the law is clear on this: as an employer, you may not record the nature or cause of an illness. That is why we build the separation between employer data and medical data into the architecture from the start. The software records only what is permitted, such as the date of notification, the expected duration and the degree of work capacity as assessed by the company doctor. Medical data remains in a separate environment with the occupational health service. We base access control on role and necessity, and every view and change is logged.
We build in line with the GDPR and the Dutch Data Protection Authority's guidance on sick employees, with encryption in transit and at rest, role-based access and retention periods suited to absence records. We make interfaces used by employees accessible in line with WCAG 2.1 level AA. We document data flows and authorisations so that your record of processing activities stays complete and you can demonstrate control.
Would you like to discuss your situation without obligation? You can do so via our contact form.
- No recording of the nature or cause of illness by the employer
- Strict separation between the medical environment and the employer environment
- GDPR-compliant data processing and data minimisation
- Only the legally permitted absence data is recorded
- Encryption in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest
- Role-based access and least-privilege principles
- Complete audit logging of access and changes
- Retention periods aligned with absence records
Frequently asked questions about absence management software
Answers to the questions we are asked most often about custom software for absence management.
Absence management software supports the entire sickness absence process: sick and recovery notifications, building an absence file for each employee, the steps and deadlines under the Dutch Gatekeeper Improvement Act (Wet verbetering poortwachter), collaboration with the occupational health service and company doctor, and tracking key figures such as absence rate and notification frequency. Custom absence management software can be set up to match your own absence protocol and way of working, rather than forcing you to adapt your processes to a standard package. Because the data is sensitive, the software only records what an employer is permitted to register under privacy legislation.
As an employer, you may not record the nature or cause of an illness. You may, however, register the data needed for absence support and continued wage payment, such as the date of the sickness notification, the telephone number and address where the employee is staying during sickness, the expected duration, the degree of incapacity for work as assessed by the company doctor, whether the absence falls under a safety-net scheme, and whether it was caused by a workplace accident. Medical data belongs with the company doctor and the occupational health service, not with the employer. We configure the software so that fields and permissions enforce this separation, in line with the guidelines of the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens).
The Dutch Work and Income (Reintegration) Gatekeeper Improvement Act (Wet verbetering poortwachter) sets out a series of steps for long-term sickness absence: the problem analysis by the occupational physician, the action plan, periodic evaluations, the week-42 report to UWV, the first-year evaluation and the reintegration report. Absence management software monitors these steps and deadlines with alerts and tasks, links documents to the file and keeps a record of what has been done. This reduces the risk of a wage sanction and keeps reintegration progress traceable. We always verify how it works against the current law and your occupational health service's way of working.
We build custom software. Absence management differs from one organisation to another in its absence protocol, management model (in-house or via the occupational health service), roles and integrations with HR and payroll. Custom absence management software fits your actual process and can evolve as laws, regulations or your way of working change. After an intake meeting, we decide together which functionality matters most and in what order to develop it, without promising a fixed timeline or price that we cannot yet substantiate.
Yes. Absence directly affects personnel data and continued pay, so integrations with your HR or HRM system and payroll administration are often desirable. We synchronise employment contracts and employee data from your HR source and pass absence and recovery data on to payroll processing, with data minimisation as the starting point: only the fields that are needed are exchanged. For the wider personnel administration, we work together with our custom HR software.
The software provides a separate working environment for the company doctor and occupational health professionals, in which medical data and consultation reports are recorded without the employer having access to them. The employer sees only the non-medical advice needed for support, such as the degree of fitness for work, usable capacities and follow-up appointments. Signals, tasks and documents flow between HR, line manager and occupational health service so that everyone can fulfil their role with exactly the right level of access.
We build for HR departments and employers, from small businesses to large organisations, and for occupational health services that manage sickness absence support for multiple employers. The software supports both the day-to-day guidance provided by line managers and case managers and the oversight and accountability that HR and management need, with attention to collaboration with the company doctor and occupational health service and to keeping each client's data strictly separate.
Yes. We regularly take over existing applications, including those built by another party. We review the architecture, integrations, authorisation model, logging and security, document the current setup and propose improvements. From that point on, we can handle changes, integrations and monitoring, or modernise step by step towards a maintainable situation.
Ready to build your absence management software?
Tell us how your absence management is set up and where you run into problems, from sick and recovery notifications to Gatekeeper steps, occupational health service and the integration with HR and payroll. We are happy to think along with you about process, privacy and integrations. In a no-obligation first conversation, you will get a clear picture of the possibilities for custom absence management software that suits your organisation.