Since Jan. 1, 2024, everyone in the Netherlands is entitled to a minimum hourly wage. What does this mean for you?
New rules
In 2023, the minimum wage you received per hour still depended on how many hours you worked per week. For example, at 36 hours per week, your hourly wage was higher than at 40 hours per week. But on Jan. 1, 2024, the legal minimum hourly wage was introduced. This applies to everyone from the age of 15 and will be €13.68 gross per hour as of July 1, 2024 for workers aged 21 and older.
Previously, for example, someone 21 and older working 40 hours per week earned 11.51 per hour. By July 1, 2024, that will be 13.68 per hour, the same as for anyone working 36 and 38 hours. That's a wage increase of more than 15% for workers with 40-hour weeks.
If employers do not pay the minimum hourly wage, it is underpayment and labor inspections can impose fines.
This blog was written by Mr. Stijn Blom, employment lawyer at Arbeidsadvocaat.nl B.V. Stijn has extensive experience in employment law and assists entrepreneurs daily with a wide range of employment-related matters. From dismissal cases to drafting watertight contracts and policies – with his practical and personal approach, he helps employers and employees move forward. Want to know more?Visit Stijn's page.
Arbeidsadvocaat.nl is happy to think with you if you have questions about the legal minimum hourly wage. Please feel free to contact us.
October 2024
