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What are your rights as an international working in the Netherlands? We asked the experts

Know your employee rights ๐Ÿ‘‡

When moving to a new country, there are a lot of things you may not think about at first โ€” even though they will greatly affect you. An example? The local employment laws.

Weโ€™re sorry for coming at you with such Dutch directness, but itโ€™s true: the intricacies of Dutch labour law arenโ€™t always easy to wrap your head around (especially as non-Dutch-speaking expats like us ๐Ÿ˜‰).

Thatโ€™s why I asked the experts! From sick leave to dismissal and from obligations to rights โ€” I sat down with GMW lawyers to discuss the most important things to know as an international working in the Netherlands. 

Meet the experts

Founded in 1989, GMW lawyers is a law firm based in The Hague offering various legal services. 

I had the pleasure of meeting two of their best employment lawyers, Godelijn Boonman and Seliz Demirci, at their charming office to chat about Dutch labour law.

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I asked all the most burning questions. Image: DutchReview

Having worked in employment law for more than 33 years, Godelijn tells me that she โ€œprefer[s] working with internationals because it always brings me to another country.โ€ After all, โ€œemployment law is employment law,โ€ she smiles, โ€œbut itโ€™s the people with whom I work that make all the difference.โ€

READ MORE | Everything you need to know about mediators in the Netherlands

Seliz, who also specialises in employment law, agrees: โ€œWorking with internationals is refreshing. Itโ€™s nice to get an international perspective on how we do things here in the Netherlands.โ€ 

Now, the question is: How do they do things here in the Netherlands? What do expats need to know? What should we be wary of? I asked all the questions; hereโ€™s what Seliz and Godelijn had to say. ๐Ÿ‘‡

So, what do internationals need to know about working in the Netherlands?

Naturally, working conditions, culture, and employment law vary greatly per country. Thatโ€™s why itโ€™s a great idea to read up on the local legislation before accepting a job abroad. 

When it comes to the Netherlands, youโ€™ll be happy to hear that your working conditions will most likely be similar โ€” or better โ€” than those in your home country. 

โ€œOverall, we have a very strong protection of employees in the Netherlandsโ€, says Godelijn โ€” โ€œnot like in the US and the UK, for example. Internationals are usually happily surprised.โ€

โ˜๏ธ In the Netherlands, your employer canโ€™t fire you โ€˜just becauseโ€™

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In almost all cases, your boss first has to give you the opportunity to improve. Image: Depositphotos

Firstly, you should know that you canโ€™t get fired just because your bossโ€™s cat got sick in their bed that morning. Your boss needs to provide a solid case for why you should be let go. 

โ€œWhat makes a big difference in the Netherlands is our closed dismissal system,โ€ Seliz explains. โ€œWe have nine legal grounds stipulated in law โ€” and an employer needs to stand on at least one of them (or a combination of them) to be able to let someone go.โ€

Each of these legal grounds also comes with specific obligations for the employer. โ€œFor example, if an employee underperforms, the employer has to give them a chance to improve.โ€ 

โ€œThat means you cannot fire someone just because you donโ€™t like themโ€, she tells us. 

READ MORE | Divorces in the Netherlands: all you need to know

In general, employees in the Netherlands arenโ€™t fired willy-nilly, and if you have a permanent contract and donโ€™t agree with the dismissal proposed by your employer, then the only way you can be let go is in court.

The only exception to this rule is if you are a statutory director, in which case the shareholders can dismiss you without first going to court.

๐Ÿคง You can get sick pay for a very long time

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Feeling sick or burnt out? As part of your employee rights in the Netherlands, you will still receive a salary. Image: Depositphotos

Another important thing to know about your work rights in the Netherlands regards your right to sick leave (ziekteverlof in Dutch). 

โ€œThe internationals I speak to are always surprised by this,โ€ says Seliz.

Why? Well, in the Netherlands, your employer is obligated to pay you a whopping two years of sick leave if you fall ill and cannot do your job. 

By law, your Dutch employer must continue paying at least 70% of your salary (of a maximum monthly wage, which is now โ‚ฌ 5,969 gross) โ€” and many employers even choose to pay the full amount during the first year of illness!

Dutch labour law is elaborate and complex โ€” but itโ€™s good to know that, in most cases, the law is on the employeeโ€™s side. ๐Ÿ˜‰ Got any questions about Dutch law or a specific situation youโ€™d like to discuss? Geen problem!

๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ’ป Working from home is not a right in the Netherlands

international-woman-working-from-home-in-the-netherlands-as-is-her-right-as-an-employee-in-the-Netherlands
This one may come as a surprise, but your Dutch employment rights do not include the right to work from anywhere. Image: Depositphotos

Iโ€™ll be honest: For the longest time, I was convinced that the right to remote work was legally prescribed in the Netherlands โ€” but itโ€™s not.

Yup, although the Netherlands is often dubbed the โ€œWFH capital of Europeโ€, and almost 75% of employees in the Netherlands work remotely at least some of the time, โ€œit is not a legal right to work from home in the Netherlandsโ€, says Godelijn. 

That being said, thereโ€™s no need to worry. Especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, most employers in the Netherlands allow their workers to work from home on at least a part-time basis. 

Let op: working from home means working from home, as the lawyers tell me โ€” unfortunately, you canโ€™t just bog off to Thailand for 8 months and work from there. 

The Dutch government had previously proposed a โ€œworking from anywhereโ€ law. However, this was rejected.

Good to know: If working from home is not the norm in your company, you can simply make a request to work remotely with your employer. This request must be made in writing two months ahead of time, and your employer can only reject it for valid business-related reasons.

๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Cultural differences will affect you in the workplace 

International-workers-and-dutch-workers-working-in-the-netherlands-having-a-drink-after-work-at-borrel
Letting loose at the work borrel? Make sure you still behave (somewhat) professionally. ๐Ÿ˜‰ Image: Depositphotos

Itโ€™s no myth that the Dutch are famously direct. โ€œThatโ€™s the first thing internationals have to be aware ofโ€, Godelijn laughs. At the same time, Dutch work culture is very non-hierarchical.

In the workplace, this combination can be lethal โ€” or, well, it can end in conflict. Godelijn explains: โ€œA lot of Dutch people need to learn that their jokes can harm people, even if they think itโ€™s just a joke.โ€ 

โ€œA Dutch employer once called me about a joke that was made on the work floor. A person had made fun of an Asian employee for not being able to pronounce the English โ€œrโ€-sound.โ€ 

She adds: โ€œThe Dutch person just didnโ€™t understand how that was a problem. To him, it was โ€˜just a jokeโ€™.โ€ Thatโ€™s how cultures can clash and situations can get sticky. 

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“Especially Christmas parties seem to have a bad reputation.” Image: DutchReview

Seliz agrees: โ€œInternationals often say that Dutch people make a lot of silly jokes. We want to keep things gezellig โ€” but in other countries, jokes arenโ€™t made that freely, especially not at workโ€.

At the same time, Seliz and Godelijn agree that โ€œinternationals can sometimes be a little sensitive.โ€ 

โ€œYes, sometimes things should be done differently,โ€ Godelijn says, โ€œbut a lot of the time, itโ€™s not as serious as internationals make it out to be. Both sides need to adjust to each other.โ€

Did you know: Conflicts like these donโ€™t always require a legal battle. Instead, it may be a good option to talk to a mediator or to make an internal complaint. โ€œMy tip for internationals,โ€ says Seliz: โ€œalways communicate openly with your employerโ€.

๐Ÿ“‘ If your one-year contract doesnโ€™t get extended, your employee rights are limited

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Contract up? You may just have to pack your things. Image: Depositphotos

Although, in most ways, the Netherlands is a true haven when it comes to employment law, one big issue still affects many international people in the Netherlands: temporary contracts.

Especially for internationals who have moved their whole life to a different country, not knowing for how long they will be employed can be a very stressful situation.

But why are temporary contracts such a big thing here? 

โ€œItโ€™s probably because of the many employee-friendly clauses in Dutch employment lawโ€, Godelijn thinks. โ€œBecause employees are protected in such a high way, employers are often wary when starting with new employees.โ€

She explains: โ€œLegally, companies can offer three one-year contracts before someone has to be given a permanent contract, but decent employers usually donโ€™t wait out the three years. They should do one year and then move onto the permanent contract.โ€

The bad news? If a one-year contract runs out, โ€œthere are no legal obligations because the contract ends by operation of law.โ€ 

That means there will be no severance pay other that the statutory one, which amounts to 1/3rd of a monthโ€™s salary per worked year. Even if you are sick, your employer can simply let your contract run out. 


What is your experience with the Dutch job market? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Lyna Meyrer ๐Ÿ‡ฑ๐Ÿ‡บ
Lyna Meyrer ๐Ÿ‡ฑ๐Ÿ‡บ
Say 'hoi' to Lyna, our Senior Writer at DutchReview! Fueled by a love for writing, social media, and all things Dutch, she joined the DR family in 2022. Since making the Netherlands her home in 2018, she has collected a BA in English Literature & Society (Hons.) and an RMA in Arts, Literature and Media (Hons.). Even though she grew up just a few hours away from the Netherlands, Lyna remains captivated by the guttural language, quirky culture, and questionable foods that make the Netherlands so wonderfully Dutch.

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