Employment law glossary for the Netherlands
This glossary covers 136 key terms of Dutch employment law (arbeidsrecht). Each entry explains the legal concept under Dutch law, references the relevant legislation, and includes the Dutch legal term. The glossary is written and maintained by Eva Jongepier, an employment lawyer in the Netherlands with more than 26 years of experience.
Wages and compensation under Dutch employment law
- Minimum wage in the Netherlands (minimumloon)
- Holiday allowance in the Netherlands (vakantiegeld)
- Thirteenth month salary in the Netherlands (dertiende maand)
- Overtime pay in the Netherlands (overwerk)
- Equal pay in the Netherlands (gelijk loon)
- Bonus schemes under Dutch employment law (bonusregeling)
- Stock options and employee shares in the Netherlands (aandelenoptieregeling)
- Company car policy in the Netherlands (leaseautoregeling)
- Salary reduction under Dutch law (loonsverlaging)
- Wage claim in the Netherlands (loonvordering)
- Wage payment obligations in the Netherlands (loonbetaling)
- Expense reimbursement in the Netherlands (onkostenvergoeding)
Leave and working hours in the Netherlands
- Annual leave under Dutch law (vakantiedagen)
- Maternity leave in the Netherlands (zwangerschapsverlof)
- Paternity leave in the Netherlands (geboorteverlof)
- Parental leave in the Netherlands (ouderschapsverlof)
- Adoption leave in the Netherlands (adoptieverlof)
- Caregiver leave in the Netherlands (zorgverlof)
- Emergency leave in the Netherlands (calamiteitenverlof)
- Working hours under Dutch law (arbeidstijd)
- Flexible working in the Netherlands (flexibel werken)
- Working from home in the Netherlands (thuiswerken)
- Night work in the Netherlands (nachtarbeid)
- Rest periods under Dutch employment law (rusttijd)
Contract types and flexible work under Dutch law
- Zero-hours contract in the Netherlands (nulurencontract)
- On-call contract under Dutch law (oproepcontract)
- Min-max contract in the Netherlands (min-maxcontract)
- Temporary agency work in the Netherlands (uitzendovereenkomst)
- Payrolling under Dutch law
- Secondment agreement in the Netherlands (detacheringsovereenkomst)
- Management agreement in the Netherlands (managementovereenkomst)
- Chain rule under Dutch employment law (ketenregeling)
- Consecutive employment contracts in the Netherlands (opvolgend werkgeverschap)
- Bogus self-employment in the Netherlands (schijnzelfstandigheid)
- Wet DBA and self-employed workers in the Netherlands
- Posted workers in the Netherlands (gedetacheerde werknemers)
Dismissal under Dutch employment law
- Serious culpable conduct of the employee in the Netherlands (ernstig verwijtbaar handelen)
- Serious culpable conduct of the employer in the Netherlands (ernstig verwijtbaar handelen werkgever)
- Fair compensation in Dutch dismissal law (billijke vergoeding)
- Reflection period for settlement agreements in the Netherlands (bedenktermijn)
- Redundancy selection criteria in the Netherlands (afspiegelingsbeginsel)
- Social plan in the Netherlands (sociaal plan)
- Outplacement under Dutch employment law
- Garden leave in the Netherlands (vrijstelling van werk)
- Suspension of an employee in the Netherlands (schorsing)
- Collective redundancy notification in the Netherlands (WMCO-melding)
Performance and dossier building under Dutch law
- Written Warning in Dutch Employment Law (schriftelijke waarschuwing)
- Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) in the Netherlands (verbetertraject)
- Dossier Building in Dutch Employment Law (dossieropbouw)
- Demotion (Demotie) in Dutch Employment Law
- Changing Employment Conditions in the Netherlands (wijziging arbeidsvoorwaarden)
- Unilateral Change Clause (Eenzijdig Wijzigingsbeding) in the Netherlands
- Good Employer Practices in the Netherlands (Article 7:611 of the Dutch Civil Code) (goed werkgeverschap)
- Good Employee Practices in the Netherlands (Goed Werknemerschap)
Sick leave and disability in the Netherlands
- Reintegration Obligations in the Netherlands (re-integratieverplichtingen)
- The Two-Year Sick Leave Rule in the Netherlands (loondoorbetalingsverplichting)
- The Company Doctor (Bedrijfsarts) in the Netherlands
- Second Opinion in Sick Leave Disputes (Netherlands)
- UWV Expert Opinion (Deskundigenoordeel) in the Netherlands
- WIA Disability Benefit in the Netherlands (WIA-uitkering)
- Occupational Health and Safety in the Netherlands (Arbowet)
- Return to Work Obligations in the Netherlands (werkhervatting)
- Sick Leave Notification Rules in the Netherlands (ziekmelding)
- Reasonable Accommodation in Dutch Employment Law (redelijke aanpassing)
Discrimination and employee protection under Dutch law
- Discrimination in Employment in the Netherlands (discriminatie)
- Workplace Harassment in the Netherlands (intimidatie)
- Whistleblower Protection in the Netherlands (klokkenluidersbescherming)
- Equal Treatment Legislation in the Netherlands (gelijke behandeling)
- Employer Liability for Workplace Accidents in the Netherlands (werkgeversaansprakelijkheid)
- Employee Privacy and GDPR in the Netherlands (privacy werknemer)
- Monitoring Employees in the Netherlands (werknemerscontrole)
- Employee Data Protection in the Netherlands (gegevensbescherming werknemer)
Employment contract clauses under Dutch law
- Non-Solicitation Clause (Relatiebeding) in the Netherlands
- Confidentiality Clause in Dutch Employment Law (geheimhoudingsbeding)
- Penalty Clause (Boetebeding) in Dutch Employment Law
- Study Costs Reclaim Clause in the Netherlands (studiekostenbeding)
- Employee Intellectual Property Rights in the Netherlands (intellectueel eigendom werknemer)
- Employee Inventions in the Netherlands (Rijksoctrooiwet) (werknemersuitvinding)
- Relocation Clause in Dutch Employment Law (verplaatsingsbeding)
- Prohibition on Additional Work (Nevenwerkzaamhedenbeding) in the Netherlands
Collective employment law in the Netherlands
- Collective labour agreement in the Netherlands (CAO) (collectieve arbeidsovereenkomst)
- Trade union rights in the Netherlands (vakbondsrechten)
- Strike action under Dutch law (stakingsrecht)
- Works council consent rights in the Netherlands (instemmingsrecht)
- Works council advisory rights in the Netherlands (adviesrecht)
- European Works Council in the Netherlands (Europese ondernemingsraad)
- Employee participation in the Netherlands (medezeggenschap)
- Social partners and the poldermodel in the Netherlands (sociale partners)
International employment law in the Netherlands
- Expat employment law in the Netherlands (expat arbeidsrecht)
- The 30% ruling in the Netherlands (30%-regeling)
- Work permit in the Netherlands (TWV/GVVA) (werkvergunning)
- Highly skilled migrant scheme in the Netherlands (kennismigrant)
- Applicable law to an employment contract in the Netherlands (toepasselijk recht)
- Jurisdiction in employment disputes in the Netherlands (bevoegde rechter)
- International employment contract in the Netherlands (internationaal arbeidscontract)
- Cross-border employment in the Netherlands (grensoverschrijdend werken)
Employment law procedures in the Netherlands
- Subdistrict court (kantonrechter) in Dutch employment law
- Mediation in employment disputes in the Netherlands
- Interim injunction in Dutch employment law (kort geding)
- Appeal in Dutch employment cases (hoger beroep)
Settlement agreements under Dutch employment law
- Negotiating a settlement agreement in the Netherlands (onderhandeling vaststellingsovereenkomst)
- Final settlement payment in the Netherlands (eindafrekening)
- Non-disparagement clause in Dutch employment law (non-disparagement beding)
- Reference letter in Dutch employment law (getuigschrift)
- Release of claims in Dutch employment law (finale kwijting)
- Unemployment benefits after a settlement agreement in the Netherlands (WW-uitkering)
- Fictitious notice period in the Netherlands (fictieve opzegtermijn)
- Compensation in a settlement agreement in the Netherlands (ontslagvergoeding)
Summary dismissal under Dutch law
- Urgent reason for dismissal in the Netherlands (dringende reden)
- Requirements for immediate dismissal in the Netherlands (ontslag op staande voet)
- Theft by an employee in the Netherlands (diefstal door werknemer)
- Fraud by an employee in the Netherlands (fraude door werknemer)
- Insubordination and work refusal in the Netherlands (werkweigering)
- Contesting summary dismissal in the Netherlands (aanvechten ontslag op staande voet)
- Damages after summary dismissal in the Netherlands (schadevergoeding)
- Interim measures in dismissal cases in the Netherlands (voorlopige voorzieningen)
If you are an employee in the Netherlands
- Received a settlement agreement in the Netherlands - what now? (vaststellingsovereenkomst)
- Forced to resign in the Netherlands - know your rights (gedwongen ontslag)
- Constructive dismissal in the Netherlands (feitelijke opzegging)
- Unfair dismissal claim in the Netherlands (kennelijk onredelijk ontslag)
- Wrongful termination compensation in the Netherlands (schadevergoeding bij ontslag)
- Deadlines for contesting dismissal in the Netherlands (vervaltermijn)
- Dismissed during sick leave in the Netherlands - what to do (ontslag tijdens ziekte)
- Employer breach of contract in the Netherlands (tekortkoming werkgever)
- Forced to accept a demotion in the Netherlands (gedwongen functiewijziging)
- Calculate your transition payment in the Netherlands (transitievergoeding)
If you are an employer in the Netherlands
- How to dismiss an employee in the Netherlands - step by step (ontslag werknemer)
- Dismissal for poor performance checklist in the Netherlands (disfunctioneren)
- What does dismissing an employee cost in the Netherlands? (ontslagkosten)
- Risks of summary dismissal for employers in the Netherlands (risico's ontslag op staande voet)
- Restructuring and redundancy rights in the Netherlands (reorganisatie)
- Negotiating a severance package in the Netherlands (ontslagpakket)
Costs and procedures in Dutch employment law
- Cost of an employment lawyer in the Netherlands (kosten advocaat arbeidsrecht)
- Legal aid for employment law in the Netherlands (gesubsidieerde rechtsbijstand)
- Employment law consultation in the Netherlands - what to expect (consult arbeidsrecht)
- How long does an employment court case take in the Netherlands? (duur arbeidsrechtszaak)