Independent platform; we are not a government body or recruitment agency.4 October 2026
NL Worker Compass
ABU / NBBU · 2026–2028

Holidays and public holidays for temporary workers in 2026

Check leave, holiday pay and payment on public holidays within your temporary employment package. Including varying working days and the comparison with the hirer.

Sources checked: 3 minutes of readingSources for this explanation

This is an automatic translation of the Dutch explanation. If in doubt, check the Dutch text and the original collective labor agreement. Read this explanation in Dutch

The short answer

In 2026, do not assume one fixed number of vacation days or one vacation pay percentage for all temporary workers. The employment conditions at the hirer and the elaboration of equivalent remuneration are decisive, in addition to legal lower limits and the implementation rules of the temporary employment collective labor agreement.

Holidays and holiday pay are two parts

Holidays provide free time; holiday pay is an amount of money. Request both separately in your employment confirmation and pay slip. The wage value of leave is also important. Old internet pages with 25 days and 8.33% do not automatically describe your current package. A transitional arrangement from the beginning of 2026 is also not a permanent arrangement for every new assignment.

A holiday with a varying schedule

First check the regulations and the normal working day at the hirer. If it is not clear whether the weekday in question would be a working day for you, Article 30 has a review period of thirteen weeks: including working at least seven times on that weekday. A modified test applies for a shorter employment history. Therefore, keep schedules; the number of contract hours per week alone sometimes provides insufficient information.

This is how you check it

  1. Compare leave and holiday pay with the written confirmation of your placement.
  2. In the event of a public holiday, check the hiring company's arrangements and your previous schedules.
  3. Ask for the calculation of both the free hours and their wage value.
Practical example

You work alternately on Mondays. Around a holiday on Monday, the office will ask you for the schedules of the previous weeks. This can be used to determine whether Monday was a normal working day according to the collective labor agreement test.

Questions about this CAO

Does every temporary worker still have 25 days of holiday?

That is not a safe general assumption for 2026. Check the current package and how the hirer's conditions have been processed.

Do I get time off on every public holiday?

Not automatically. The schedule, the public holiday regulations applicable to the hirer and the implementation rules are relevant.

Is holiday pay included in my hourly wage?

This must be clear from the wage agreements and specifications. Do not compare an hourly wage including reservations with an amount excluding reservations.

What if I go to another hirer?

Have the leave and public holiday agreements reconfirmed and ask how previously accrued rights are settled or retained.

Sources for this explanation

Sources checked:

Original documents · PDF