This issue contains 4 sections.

Working conditons

This page contains an overview of the most important directives regarding working conditions in the Netherlands.

Compulsory identification at the workplace

Everyone aged 14 and over in the Netherlands must show valid proof of identity if asked to do so by the police or other law enforcement officials. Compulsory identification in relation to employment covers a number of different obligations for employers and employees.

As well as showing proof of identity, you have a number of other obligations. For example, you have to give your employer citizen service number (BSN) and complete an income tax declaration.

For more information see the Issue Identification documents

Child care allowance

The Dutch Childcare Act of 2005 was created in order to increase the participation of women in the work force, the accessibility of childcare and the competition between childcare providers, thereby lowering fees. The act provides for the financing of formal childcare and maintains quality and supervision standards for all childcare services.

Employers must pay their sick employees 70% of their last wages for two years. During the first year, employers are legally obliged to pay at least the minimum wage, although this obligation does not apply during the second year of sickness.

Cross-border work

You are a cross-border worker if you live in one member state of the European Union or European Economic Area (EU/EEA) and work in another member state. You return to the country where you live at least once a week. For example, you live in the Netherlands and work in Germany or Belgium.

New rules for termination of employment

A single procedure will be introduced for the termination of employment, in which the employer will request an advisory opinion in advance from the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV), which the employer must follow. The UWV will not assess a proposed termination of employment in cases where a collective labour agreement provides for a comparable procedure. The option of seeking termination of employment by applying to a district court will be abolished. An employee whose contract has been terminated may however apply to the courts, which may reverse the termination. The court may also award compensation up to a maximum of half a month’s salary for each year of employment, subject to a ceiling of €75,000.

In cases of involuntary termination of employment or the non-extension of a temporary contract of at least one year, employees will receive a transitional budget amounting to a quarter of a month’s salary for each year of employment, subject to a maximum of four months’ salary. This budget is intended for training or other programmes that will help the employee find another job more quickly. It will in principle be available to all permanent employees and all temporary employees who have had their jobs for at least a year.

The Rutte-Asscher government will raise the upper limit for the employed person’s tax credit by €125 in 2014. This amount will be further increased in equal stages to €500 in 2017. From 2015 the Rutte-Asscher government will abolish the single parent’s tax credit and supplementary tax credit and the parental leave tax credit.

Employment contracts

An employment contract is a contract between you and your employer. An employment contract can be said to exist when someone works for an employer and receives wages for the work that he or she personally performs. As well as permanent contracts, there are various flexible types of employment contract.

Many employers are covered by a collective labour agreement (CAO). These agreements often include rules about wage levels, holidays, notice periods, and similar matters. It will also state whether or not your employer is allowed to deviate from any of the provisions in the agreement.

Download the fact sheets:

Equal treatment

It is against the law to treat a person differently on the grounds of their religion, belief, political convictions, race, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, civil status, handicap, chronic illness, age, the amount of time they work (full time or part time) or type of employment contract (temporary or permanent). This section deals with information on equal treatment during a job application procedure, at work, in the terms and conditions of employment, including pay and dismissal, and what to do when you have not been treated in the same way as others.

Exploitation at the workplace

If you are forced to work in unsafe environments, paid far too little or have to work extremely long hours, you are being exploited. If such situations include an element of coercion or are the result of deception, they may be instances of human trafficking. Victims of human trafficking are entitled to ask for assistance.

Finding work

When you intend to work in the Netherlands, you must know your first point of contact in order to find a job. You must find out which Dutch employment conditions apply to you if you work in paid employment. As an employee in paid employment you have the same position as employees with Dutch nationality.

Holiday entitlements

Every employee is entitled to holiday with full pay. The minimum number of holiday days to which an employee is entitled is established by law. The different ways of taking days as holiday are also regulated by law. In addition, employees and employers can conclude agreements about days off.

Leave

Without legal measures, leave would depend too much on the sector in which you are employed and its economic conditions. Many employees would not be entitled to leave on important occasions, such as pregnancy, emergencies or when a family member needs care. This could induce workers to leave the job market or, at least, to reduce the number of hours they work.

For this reason, the government has instituted measures, such as the legal right to unpaid leave and emergency leave. Employers and employees are generally free to make additional agreements on leave, for instance in the company CAO.

Download the fact sheets:

Labour migration

Working in the Netherlands is permitted to persons of Dutch nationality or the nationality of one of the countries within the European Economic Area, which comprises European Union Member States except for Roumania and Bulgary, as well as Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. The rules and procedures regarding employment in the Netherlands of persons from other countries (i.e. ‘third country nationals’) are governed by the Aliens Employment Act (‘Wet Arbeid Vreemdelingen - WAV’).

Life-course savings scheme

The life course savings scheme allows employees to save a part of their gross salary. These savings can be used to take a period of unpaid leave. The reason leave is taken is not important. An employee may go on leave to attend a training course or care for a seriously ill parent, for example. A maximum of 12% of the gross salary may be saved each year. In total, a maximum of 210% of the annual gross salary may be saved.  

Posting of workers in the Netherlands

Directive 96/71/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services aims to abolish the obstacles and uncertainties that impede implementation of the freedom to supply services, by improving legal certainty and facilitating identification of the employment conditions that apply to workers temporarily employed in a Member State other than the Member State whose legislation governs the employment relationship.

Supplementary pension

When you retire, you need to be ensured of an income. You will receive a basic income from the government according to the General Old Age Pensions Act (AOW). You build up a supplementary pension by joining your employer’s pension scheme. You can also take out private insurance.

See more in the issue Pensions and Benefits.

Minimum wage

All employees are entitled to a minimum income until the age of 65. The statutory minimum wage applies to employees aged 23 to 65. The minimum youth wage applies to employees under the age of 23.

Working as a self-employed person

Starting your own business needs a good deal of preparation. There are various schemes that you can use and regulations that you should bear in mind.

Working hours

Work costs energy, both mental and physical. For that reason, employees may not work for too long without a break. There are rules covering how long somebody may work per day and when people are entitled to a break. The rules are contained in the Working Hours Act and the Working Hours Decree.