What rights apply to household work under the domestic services scheme?
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Detailed explanation, checklist and sources
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.
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1. When does the scheme apply?
Both parties must be private individuals and the work must relate to a household. Work for the same client must be fewer than four days weekly. One hour on a day counts as a working day for this test. You may have several clients: assess each separately. At four or more days the simplified scheme does not apply and ordinary employer obligations need checking.
2. What work is included?
Examples include cleaning, cooking, laundry, gardening, dog walking, shopping and childcare. Work need not physically occur in the client's home. Work through a business does not qualify merely because it involves cleaning. The tax exception does not itself determine whether an employment contract exists under civil law; assess the actual arrangements.
3. What must be paid?
Agree at least the applicable statutory minimum wage and 8% holiday allowance. Paid annual leave is four times weekly working hours, and the workplace must be safe. Five hours weekly gives twenty holiday hours. Record hourly pay, holiday allowance and leave separately; an unclear all-in amount prevents checking these rights.
4. What about illness and insurance?
The ordinary private scheme provides continued pay during illness for up to six weeks; report illness on day one. Employee insurance for sickness, incapacity and unemployment is generally absent under this scheme. Ask UWV promptly about voluntary insurance and conditions. Earnings remain taxable: the worker declares them to the Tax Administration and, when receiving benefits, the benefit agency. No withholding does not mean tax-free.
5. How should agreements be recorded?
Use the official household-help employment-contract model as a starting point. Record tasks, days, hours, pay, holidays, sickness notification and safe equipment; keep a signed copy and hours/payments. Have termination and disputes assessed separately. The letter below requests clarification, is not a complete contract and sends nothing. Discuss discrepancies before arrears grow.
6. What differs for pgb care?
Pgb carers with employment contracts do not automatically fall under the ordinary six-week/uninsured explanation. Since 2026, Wlz/Wmo/Youth Act and Zvw with SVB payroll have broader insurance and generally up to 104 weeks' sickness pay. Special transition rules apply to Zvw without SVB and sickness starting before the applicable commencement date. Service/family agreements differ. Have SVB/UWV check contract, dates and insurance; not all new employment rights commenced together.
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Do three hours spread over four days count as fewer than four days?
No. Every day worked counts in this test, even with few hours. Four working days for the same private client therefore fall outside the fewer-than-four-day scheme.
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Private parties and household tasks
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- Private parties and household tasks
- Workdays per client
- Hours, minimum wage and holiday allowance
- Holidays and sickness procedure
- Income reporting and insurance
- Contract type, pgb and transition
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Rijksoverheid — inhuren ↗Rijksoverheid — hulp zijn ↗Rijksoverheid — actuele pgb-uitzondering ↗Wet aanpassing Rdah — overgang en inwerkingtreding ↗Sources may be in Dutch. General information about Dutch law, not individual legal advice.