Work, pay and dismissal in the Netherlands
What has happened at work?
Keep the dated letter and attachments. A proposal, an actual dismissal and a UWV or court notice require different responses. Check the deadline for that procedure; chat or negotiations do not protect it.
A missing payment calls for a different next step than a proposed dismissal. Choose the situation below that fits your problem. These guides explain Dutch employment law; the answer can depend on your contract, collective agreement and the facts.
What has happened at work?
Choose what you actually received or experienced. This route helps you prepare; it does not decide whether dismissal is valid.
I was dismissed immediately
Keep the exact reason and chronology; check the short court deadline.
I received a termination proposal
Check the settlement agreement before signing.
My temporary contract is ending
Check the end date, advance notification and final payments.
Redundancy or restructuring
Review the dismissal route and any UWV notice.
My employer invokes probation
Check the probation clause and circumstances.
I am ill and my employment is ending
Check illness, contract type and how employment ends.
I want to resign
First check the contract, notice period and income effects.
My wages are missing
Prepare missing amounts, payslips and payment dates.
Keep the dated letter and attachments. A proposal, an actual dismissal and a UWV or court notice require different responses. Check the deadline for that procedure; chat or negotiations do not protect it.
Choose the problem you want to resolve
Unpaid salary in the Netherlands: what can you do?
If your employer has not paid your salary, establish what is missing and request payment in writing. A payslip alone does not prove that the money reached your account.
Checking a Dutch settlement agreement (VSO)
A vaststellingsovereenkomst, or VSO, ends employment by agreement. Check the whole proposal before signing: the end date, reason for termination and outstanding payments can affect your position.
Resigning or being dismissed while sick in the Netherlands
Thinking of resigning while ill? Have the consequences for wages and benefits assessed first. Under Dutch law, your employer generally cannot give notice during your first two years of illness. This also protects a fixed-term contract before its end date, but does not prevent it expiring on the agreed date. Exceptions apply.
Unpaid overtime in the Netherlands
Payment for extra hours depends on the contract, collective agreement (cao) and circumstances. There is no single overtime percentage that applies to every Dutch job.
Dismissal during pregnancy in the Netherlands
Pregnant and told your job will end? Dutch law generally protects you against dismissal during pregnancy. A fixed-term contract can still expire, but pregnancy must not be the reason for refusing renewal. First establish how and why your employment is ending.
Fixed-term contract not renewed: your rights in the Netherlands
If your employer does not renew your Dutch employment contract, check notification, transition compensation and final pay separately. The contract usually ends on its agreed date, but you may still be owed money.
Final pay after leaving a job in the Netherlands
Your final pay statement should show what your employer still owes and what is deducted. Check salary, holiday allowance and unused holiday hours separately. Bonuses and compensation depend on your terms and how employment ended.
Can I withdraw my resignation in the Netherlands?
Your own resignation has no general statutory cooling-off period under Dutch law. Ask your employer promptly, in writing, to reverse it. Whether your statement legally amounts to resignation also depends on its wording and circumstances.
What must I arrange as self-employed besides KVK registration?
A KVK number does not automatically arrange taxes, workplace safety or income during illness and retirement. Check activities, premises, records and protection separately.
What work and rest rules apply to standby and sleep-in duties?
Being reachable at home is different from being required to stay at work. Record actual freedom, call-outs and the applicable collective agreement. Working-time classification and pay are also separate questions.
What must I arrange to start as a self-employed care provider?
First identify the care, its funding rules and whether you genuinely work independently. BIG registration, Wtza notification, licensing and annual accountability are separate duties with different exceptions; not every care freelancer needs all of them.
Can I request special or unpaid leave?
First check whether statutory leave fits your situation. Special leave for a wedding or move usually depends on a collective agreement, contract or workplace rules. For unpaid leave discuss pay, holiday, pension, benefits and return, not just dates.
What should I arrange before volunteering?
Agree duties, expenses, insurance and safety beforehand. Volunteering does not automatically entitle you to payment or insurance. If you receive benefits, check in advance what notification or permission is required and which duties continue.
How do I arrange an RI&E and workplace safety policy as an employer?
With staff you must identify risks and implement controls. A completed template alone is insufficient: involve workers, check expert assessment and keep the plan current. This preparation is not a professional assessment or required certification.
Which interview questions and medical examinations are permitted?
Recruitment should assess suitability, not private life or a general medical file. Medical examinations require necessary special medical job requirements. Keep exact questions and responses if concerned.
How do I request holiday and preserve my leave balance?
Request holiday with proof and check balances by accrual year. Statutory and extra leave have different rules. An 'expired' system entry is not decisive: opportunity to take leave, sickness and the employer's information duties also matter.
What work and rest rules apply at age 16 or 17?
At sixteen and seventeen many jobs are allowed, but school counts as working time and hazardous tasks are restricted. Check tasks, supervision, school and rest together: a job contract does not remove youth protection.
May I express milk or breastfeed during working hours?
Yes. During the first nine months after giving birth, Dutch employees may breastfeed or express milk during work for up to a quarter of each shift's working time, with pay. Agree scheduling, a suitable room and occupational risks before returning.
How do I request home working or another work location?
You can request a different workplace in writing, such as partly working from home. This is not an unlimited right to choose your own location. The employer must assess and discuss the request; check conditions, deadlines, safety and any cross-border consequences.
How do I check working hours, breaks and rest periods?
Adult employees have statutory limits on shifts, weekly hours, breaks and rest. Paying overtime does not legalise an unsafe roster. Check the whole schedule, collective agreement and special rules for nights, young workers, pregnancy and your occupation.
How do I arrange adoption or foster-care leave and benefit?
Dutch employees may take up to six weeks of adoption or foster-care leave. Request leave from your employer at least three weeks ahead; the separate UWV benefit application is made four to two weeks before the start. First check insurance status and documents.
What rights apply to household work under the domestic services scheme?
When two private individuals arrange household help for fewer than four days a week, the Dutch domestic services scheme may apply. Pay, holiday, sickness and safety rights remain. Count working days per client and assess pgb care under an employment contract separately.
When can I take emergency or short-absence leave?
Dutch employees may need brief paid leave for an urgent, unexpected or exceptional personal situation. Notify your employer promptly. The necessary duration and collective rules matter; entitlement is not automatically a fixed day off.
When is a works council compulsory and what can it do?
A Dutch works council (OR) is generally compulsory from fifty employees. It represents staff in business policy but does not decide every individual employment dispute. Check the organisation, headcount and proposed decision before invoking consultation or consent rights.
When am I entitled to short-term or long-term care leave?
If you are an employee in the Netherlands and need to care for someone close to you, care leave may help. Eligibility, hours and pay depend on the type of leave. First check your collective agreement and collective workplace rules, which may differ from the statutory baseline.
How do I request maternity leave as an employee?
Notify your employer at least three weeks before your chosen maternity-leave start. Dutch pregnancy and postnatal leave normally total at least sixteen weeks, or twenty for multiples. The employer applies separately for the UWV benefit. The final end date also depends on the birth and any special circumstances.
Dutch minimum wage 2026: which hourly rate applies to my age?
From 1 July 2026 the ordinary minimum hourly wage for employees aged 21 and over is €14.99 gross. Younger workers and some BBL apprentices have different rates. Check age, pay period, hours and collective agreement together: your net bank payment is not your gross minimum wage.
Parental leave in the Netherlands: paid, unpaid and applying
An employee caring for a child under eight may have parental leave equal to 26 times their weekly working hours. Up to nine working weeks within that total may be partly paid if taken in time. Request leave from your employer in writing at least two months ahead; the UWV benefit requires a separate application.
How do I report sick to my employer without sharing medical details?
Report promptly that illness prevents your normal work and follow the known sickness protocol. You do not need to give your manager a diagnosis. Agree contact arrangements and a next update; medical assessment belongs to the occupational physician. Reporting sick does not automatically apply for Ziektewet benefit.
When does pension accrual start, and how can I check it?
Building a pension differs from receiving it. Employees can accrue from age 18, but not every employer has a pension scheme. Check the scheme applying to your work, participation and any missing periods.
Zero-hours contract: which hours and pay should you check?
No fixed hours does not mean no rights. Compare contract type, calls, cancellations and hours worked with payslips. This Dutch preparation distinguishes payment for each call, a presumption of working hours and an offer of fixed hours.
Checking an employment contract: what should you ask before signing?
Compare the full offer with what was discussed: duration, hours, pay, probation and leaving arrangements. Completing a checklist does not certify validity. This preparation concerns work in the Netherlands, not an individual legal assessment.
Which collective agreement applies to my work?
The Dutch collective agreement (cao) that applies depends on your employer, its scope, the relevant period and contractual arrangements. Your job title alone, or no cao name in your contract, is not conclusive. Collect the documents and ask for a reasoned explanation.
Requesting a UWV expert opinion: which question and documents?
If reintegration stalls, a UWV expert opinion may help. First define the concrete question and collect the corresponding documents. This is advisory, not an objection decision or an automatic solution to a wage dispute.
Ill during holiday: do I get my leave days back?
Follow your sickness-reporting rules if illness prevents you from working during an agreed holiday. Those sick days generally do not count as holiday, unless you specifically consent or a valid limited agreement covers additional leave. Check the records and your arrangements.
How can I access my personnel file?
Ask your employer for access to and a copy of your personal data. The GDPR also applies to personnel administration in the Netherlands. This concerns your data, not automatically every complete document. Keep your request and check the response and any restrictions.
How do I request additional birth leave in the Netherlands?
Looking for paternity or partner leave? The partner uses birth leave and, where applicable, additional birth leave; parental leave is a separate scheme. Normally notify your employer in writing at least four weeks before additional birth leave starts. Take ordinary birth leave first and use the additional leave within six months after birth. Your employer generally applies for the UWV benefit separately; your leave notification is not that application.
Prepare a short employment timeline
- Your employment contract and any applicable collective agreement (cao).
- Payslips, hours worked and the payments that do not match.
- The employer’s letter or draft agreement, including dates and attachments.
- What you want to achieve: payment, keeping your job or reviewing an exit proposal.
Do not sign an exit proposal without checking it
Dismissal can affect your income and benefits. If you are ill, seek legal advice before agreeing to leave. Keep any response deadline in view; our chat does not protect it.
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Rijksoverheid ↗UWV ↗General information about Dutch law. Sources checked on 12 September 2026; linked official pages may be in Dutch.