Work & rights
Make sense of your contract, working hours and collective agreement before making a decision.
Where would you like to start?
Useful tools
All toolsContinue with your next step
Keep your contract, assignment confirmation and working-time records together. The right route depends on whether you are employed directly or through an agency. Start with the relevant guide and use the CAO selector when your question concerns pay or employment conditions.
Practical guides
Employment contracts and CAO
Check your hours, probation, notice and the collective agreement before signing.
Working through a Dutch agency
Know who employs you, which terms apply and what to ask about guaranteed hours.
Working hours, rest and overtime
Check the general adult limits and why night shifts need separate rules.
Your rights at work
Keep evidence, raise a pay issue and find official help.
- Salary not paid: records and next steps
- Sick pay in the Netherlands: what employees should check
- Asked to sign a termination agreement?
- Transitievergoeding when your employment ends
- WW unemployment benefit after losing a job
- Parental and maternity leave for employees
- An accident at work: reporting and evidence
Questions people ask
Is the employer’s housing part of my employment contract?
For employer-arranged migrant-worker housing, you should receive a separate rental agreement. Read the termination and payment terms in both documents; the end of employment does not answer every housing question.
Who should I contact about missing pay?
Start with the contractual employer or agency payroll team, in writing, with the dates and missing hours. Keep the hirer’s time records too. For suspected underpayment or unsafe conditions, use official help and reporting routes.
Is overtime automatically paid at 150%?
No universal 150% rule applies. Check your actual agreement. In the calculator, an extra premium of 50% adds half of the base pay, resulting in 150% total gross pay for those hours.
Can I report suspected exploitation?
Yes. The Labour Authority provides a reporting route for coercion, threats, underpayment and exploitation, including anonymous reporting of exploitation. Use the current official contact details and seek immediate emergency help if someone is in danger.