🇳🇱 Working time rules
Working Time Rules: Netherlands
Netherlands: standard working hours, overtime, rest, annual leave, and record-keeping rules - a practical overview, not legal advice.
This is a general overview, not legal advice. Limits, reference periods, exceptions, and record-keeping duties vary by sector and contract and change over time. Confirm the current rules with the official source and a qualified adviser.
Standard work week40 hours per week8 hours a day over 5 days
Minimum annual leave20-25 days20 working days minimum (4x weekly hours). Many employers offer 25 days.
Statutory working time
Under the Working Hours Act (Arbeidstijdenwet), the standard working week is 40 hours. Maximum limits are 12 hours per day and 60 hours per week, with an average of 48 hours per week over any 16-week reference period.
Overtime
There is no separate statutory overtime premium; pay for extra hours follows the contract or collective agreement, within the maximum working-time limits of the Working Hours Act.
Rest periods
At least 11 hours of daily rest (reducible in defined cases) and a weekly rest period.
Record-keeping
Employers must keep records of working time and rest periods.
What to check before you rely on this
- The current statutory limits, reference periods, and any opt-outs.
- Sector or collective-agreement rules that may override the defaults.
- How overtime is authorised, recorded, and compensated.
- What working-time records you must keep and for how long.