According to a survey by Markteffect, 34 percent of workers in the Netherlands have found errors on their payslips before. The chance of these errors occurring during May is even higher as several employees notice a lower holiday allowance (vakantiegeld) than expected.
In the National Payslip Survey 2025, more than a third of workers reported noticing an error on their paychecks. The errors are usually small, amounting to tens of euros, but in 10 percent of cases, the mistake was larger than 100 euros.
It was also more common that the mistake saw workers receiving less than they were entitled to rather than more. Director of HR company Payingit Cees Maat notes that there is a higher chance that payslip mishaps occur in May when the holiday allowance is allocated. "The accrual or payment of holiday pay is something different than the monthly salary and we see that the payment does not always go well," Maat told Hart van Nederland.
Medium-sized companies with 10 to 50 employees are more likely to see these types of errors, with 47 percent of workers noticing mistakes. At smaller and larger companies, this is closer to 29 percent.
The survey also revealed that staff under the age of 35 often do nothing when they notice a mistake on their paycheck. Only 21 percent of young workers report the error, while 97 percent of people over the age of 55 bring attention to any mistakes.
Maat believes this is because younger individuals often have less experience with payslips and could find it challenging to bring it up with employers. "Employers can really make a difference by explaining payslips better and actively encouraging people to ask questions," he noted. "An open attitude prevents mistakes and strengthens trust."