Netherlands Working Hours Law 2026: Rules for Employers

The Dutch Arbeidstijdenwet (ATW) - the Working Hours Act - governs how many hours employees can work and how much rest they must receive. Non-compliance exposes employers to fines from the Netherlands Labour Authority and, in serious cases, work suspension orders.

Standard and Maximum Hours

The standard working week under the ATW is 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week. These are the baseline figures that appear in most employment contracts.

The law also sets hard ceilings: 12 hours per day and 60 hours per week. These maximums cannot be exceeded regardless of employee agreement or overtime arrangements.

Reference periods add another layer:

  • Over any 4-week period: average weekly hours cannot exceed 55
  • Over any 16-week period: average weekly hours cannot exceed 48

These averages matter more than daily or weekly peaks for employers managing variable schedules. A team that hits 60 hours in week one must balance down in subsequent weeks.

Rest Requirements

Employees are entitled to a minimum of 11 consecutive hours of daily rest between shifts. The minimum weekly rest is 36 continuous hours.

Break rules: shifts over 5.5 hours require at least a 30-minute break. Shifts over 10 hours require at least 45 minutes.

Violations of rest requirements - particularly split shifts that cut the 11-hour window - are one of the most common ATW enforcement findings.

Overtime Pay

The ATW sets no statutory overtime premium. Rates are determined by collective agreements (CAO - Collectieve Arbeidsovereenkomst). Most CAOs in the Netherlands set overtime premiums between 25% and 50% of the base hourly rate. Some agreements allow time off in lieu instead of cash payment.

Check which CAO covers your sector. The retail CAO, the horeca CAO, and the logistics CAO each carry different overtime terms.

Young Workers

Employees aged 16-17 face stricter limits: 9 hours per day and 45 hours per week maximum. Workers under 16 have additional restrictions on shift timing and total weekly hours.

Night Work Restrictions

Night work runs from 00:00 to 06:00. Employees cannot work more than 8 night shifts in any 4-week period. Night shifts also require a minimum 14-hour rest window before the next shift. Extended night work arrangements require additional health and safety measures under the ATW.

Works Councils

Dutch companies with 50 or more employees must establish a works council (ondernemingsraad). The works council holds consultation rights on working time policy, shift arrangements, and overtime structures. Implementing new schedule systems or changing shift patterns without consulting the works council creates legal exposure.

Minimum Wage in 2026

The Dutch statutory minimum wage is €2,069.40 per month as of 2026. This applies to employees 21 and older. Reduced rates apply for workers aged 15-20 on a tiered scale.

Enforcement

The Netherlands Labour Authority (NLA) conducts planned and unannounced inspections. Inspectors check time records against rest requirements, daily and weekly maximums, and reference period averages. Fines range from hundreds to tens of thousands of euros depending on severity and history.

Employers must keep working time records for at least five years.

Track Compliance With Rezano

Rezano tracks Dutch ATW limits in real time: daily hours, weekly hours, 4-week and 16-week reference period averages, and rest windows between shifts. The system flags schedule conflicts before they go live and stores time records in the format the NLA expects during inspections. CAO overtime rates can be configured per team or employee group.

Scores - Directness: 8 | Rhythm: 8 | Trust: 8 | Authenticity: 7 | Density: 8 = 39/50