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.

Official source

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

An employee of 18 or over gets at least 11 uninterrupted hours of rest in every 24, which may be shortened once in any seven-day period to at least 8 hours where the nature of the work requires it. Weekly rest is at least 36 uninterrupted hours in every seven days, or 72 hours in every fourteen, which may be split into stretches of at least 32 hours.

Record-keeping

Employers must keep proper records of working and rest times, good enough for an inspector to check compliance against.

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.
Working hours and public holidaysWorking time rules in the EUTime tracking policy template

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