The Netherlands 

Minimum wages and salaries

• The Netherlands’ minimum wage is €1,653.60 per month, or €381.60 per week, or €76.32 per day for all workers over the age of 21.

• National minimum wage changes twice annually, to reflect collectively agreed upon wage averages.

Probation periods

• Contracts extending beyond six months may include probation periods of up to two months, but no longer.

 

Bonuses

• Both contractual and discretionary bonuses are possible in the Netherlands.

 

Termination and Severance Considerations

• Employers must give all contractual employees notice of termination. Some fixed-term employees must receive a notice as well.

• Specific notice periods depend on the employment contract’s duration, with a notice period maximum of four months.

• Notice periods are not mandatory during an employee’s probation/trial period, or in dismissal cases of gross misconduct.

• Dutch law stipulates a statuary notice period of one month for employees, though individual contracts may reflect longer or shorter notice periods.

• Employer dismissal without notice may lead to additional compensation to the amount of potential employee earnings during the perceived notice period.

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Maternity leave

• Expectant mothers receive four to six weeks of pregnancy leave before the child’s birth, and a minimum of 10 weeks leave after the child’s birth. If a mother takes fewer than six weeks of leave before birth, she receives the remaining amount (a maximum of two weeks) after her child’s birth.

• If a child’s birth occurs later than the initial due date, maternity leave begins after that date and may extend beyond 16 weeks.

• Employers apply to the Employee Insurance Agency (Uitvoeringsinstituut Werknemersverzekeringen, UWV) on behalf of their employee.

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Parental leave

• Employees with children aged eight or younger may take unpaid parental leave, and become eligible for the leave the day they begin working for an employer.

 

Partner leave

• If an employee’s partner gives birth, the employee receives one week of partner/paternity leave after the child’s birth. Partners may take 100%, employer-paid leave at any point during the first four weeks after the child’s birth.

• After July 1, 2020, partners may take up to five weeks’ unpaid leave within the first six months after the child’s birth. Employees may claim benefits through the Employment Insurance Agency at up to 70% of their salary.

 

Vacation and annual leave

• All employees receive paid annual leave. The statutory number of leave hours is, at minimum, four times the number of working hours per week. For example, employees working five days per week receive 20 days per year.

• Collective labour agreements may specify additional leave provisions.

 

Sick leave

• Employers must pay at least 70% of an employee’s wages while the employee takes sick leave. The maximum sick leave is two years.

• If this amount totals less than the national minimum wage, the employer must include additional pay to meet minimum wage stands for the first year of sick leave, but not the second year.

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Average workweek hours

• In a 16-week period, the average workweek may not exceed a 48-hour workweek average.

• Working hours cap at 55 hours per four-week period. However, collective agreements may outline different working hours. Despite collective agreements, employees may never work more than 60 hours per week, as the country has specific workweek laws in place to limit working overtime.

 

Overtime considerations

• Overtime pay varies by industry and collective agreements.