Working hours

According to the Dutch law, you should not work
more than 8 hours per day or 40 hours per week.
Depending on the industry, a maximum of 9
hours per day and 45 hours per week could be
the case, but here comes the tricky part:
according to law a person is allowed to work only
520 hours a year or, simply, the average working
week in the Netherlands is 40 hours.

There is also the option of a “four-day week”,
meaning you work 10 hours per day. However, a
specific agreement with the employer should be
made in advance. Organizational culture and
employment policies are also important factors
to consider.

Finally, no matter what, all employees should be
given a 30-minute break after they complete 4,5
working hours.


Labour Contracts

In general, there are three labour options that
differ on the employment period and dismissal
procedures. As always, specific arrangements
with the employer can be made.

› Temporary labour contracts
This type of contract has a pre-specified start
and end date. In other words, there is no
dismissal procedure at the end of the contract.

› Permanent labour contracts
In this case, there is no end date. The contract
can be terminated by either the employer or the
employee only under pre-determined conditions.

› Contracts with a recruitment agency
The recruitment agency is your legal employer
even though you work for a specific organization.
Note that there is no arrangement for your
protection against dismissal.

Gross salary & net income

With a 2.500 euros contract per month you will
take home around 1.770 euros. Salaries are sky-
high but so are the taxes. When you sign a job
contract, you negotiate a gross salary (i.e.
before tax subtraction) but what you are really
interested in is the net income (i.e. what goes
directly to your bank account).

You can download the income calculator here.


Remuneration Package

Salaries, holidays and bonuses are offered as a
package here. Yet, what you should ask for and
expect depends on your academic background
and work experience. As an example:

› For an entry-level position with a master's
degree, the monthly salary varies between
2.300-2.500 euros gross.

› For an employee aged 23 or over in full
employment, the gross minimum wage as of
1 July 2008 is 1.356 euros per month.

› Every May there is a bonus equivalent to 8%
of annual earnings.

› The number of vacation days is usually 24 per
year. However, it is common for companies to
offer more days off as an additional incentive.

› Some employers offer the possibility to “buy”
extra days off.

› The nation's minimum wage can be changed
every 6 months to adjust to inflation.


Related articles
› How to improve expat effectiveness
› Dutch business culture

Useful links
› Proboards: International business
coaches,helping companies and individuals to
adapt to the Dutch business culture.
› Orange Expats: Specialist, tailor-made life and
career coaching services to expatriates living in
the Netherlands and international organisations
employing expats in the Netherlands.