Key Takeaways
- Dutch employees receive at least four times their weekly working hours in paid vacation each year. For someone working 40 hours per week, that’s 20 days — plus a holiday allowance of at least 8% of their annual salary.
- Paid sick leave can last up to two years, with employers responsible for at least 70% of an employee’s wages and specific reintegration requirements throughout a long-term absence.
- Who pays for leave depends on the type. Employers directly fund some entitlements, while the UWV provides maternity, additional partner, and paid parental leave.
Employees in the Netherlands are entitled to paid time off for everything from vacations and illness to childbirth, caregiving, and emergencies. These policies give employees substantial time away from work for life events, but they can complicate benefits administration for employers.
Each type of leave has its own rules governing how much time employees can take, when they can take it, and how much they’re paid while they’re away from work.
Companies hiring in the Netherlands need to understand not only what employees are entitled to, but also their role in administering leave, paying required wages, filing for UWV benefits, and meeting other employer requirements.
Overview of Paid Leave Laws in the Netherlands
Leave in the Netherlands falls into two categories, each governed by different employment laws:
- Statutory leave: Employers must provide qualifying employees with certain types of leave. These rights are primarily set out in the Work and Care Act (Wet arbeid en zorg, or WAZO) and the Dutch Civil Code (Burgerlijk Wetboek), and the Employee Insurance Agency (Uitvoeringsinstituut Werknemersverzekeringen, or UWV) administers benefits for certain types of leave.
- Non-statutory leave: Employers may provide additional leave through workplace policies, employment contracts, or collective labour agreements (CAOs).
Who pays for leave depends on the type. Employers cover wages for some types directly, while UWV benefits partially or fully fund others.
These leave protections only apply to employees, not independent contractors. Contractors aren’t entitled to statutory vacation, sick leave, parental leave, or other employee leave benefits under Dutch employment law. Instead, any time off and whether it’s paid will depend on the terms of the contractor agreement.
However, proper worker classification matters. If a contractor works under conditions that more closely resemble employment, authorities may determine that they should have been classified as an employee, potentially exposing the company to legal and financial consequences.
Annual Vacation Leave
Employees are entitled to a minimum amount of annual vacation leave equal to four times the number of hours they work each week. For example, an employee working 40 hours per week is entitled to 20 days of paid vacation per year.
Employees must formally request vacation time, and employers have two weeks to approve or deny it. Employers may deny time off only if the absence would seriously disrupt business operations. If the employer doesn’t respond within two weeks, the vacation is automatically approved.
Holiday Allowance (Vakantiegeld)
Dutch employees are entitled to a holiday allowance known as vakantiegeld. The allowance is typically equal to at least 8% of an employee’s gross annual salary and is commonly paid in May or June.
Carryover Vacation
Statutory vacation days generally expire six months after the end of the calendar year in which they were accrued. For example, statutory leave accrued in 2026 must usually be used by July 1, 2027. Any unused days expire after that date.
However, different rules can apply in certain circumstances:
- Non-statutory vacation days: Additional days provided by an employer or required under a CAO expire five years after they’re accrued.
- Employees unable to take their statutory leave: The six-month expiration period may not apply if an employee was reasonably unable to use their vacation days, such as because of illness or circumstances that prevented them from taking time off. In those cases, the unused days may remain available beyond the July 1 deadline.
Payment for Unused Vacation
When employment ends, employers must pay out all unused statutory and non-statutory vacation days, regardless of whether the employee resigns or is terminated.
While an employee is still employed:
- Unused statutory vacation days cannot be exchanged for cash.
- Unused non-statutory vacation days can be exchanged for payment while an employee is still employed, but only if both the employer and employee agree.
Public Holidays
The Netherlands celebrates several public holidays, but employers aren’t required by law to give employees paid time off for each one. Whether employees are entitled to paid time off for a specific holiday depends on the applicable CAO or employment contract.
Sick Leave
Under the Dutch Civil Code, employees can receive up to two years of paid, job-protected sick leave while recovering from an illness or injury.
Employers must pay at least 70% of an employee’s wages for up to 104 weeks. However, many CAOs require more, such as full pay during the first year of illness and 70% during the second.
Dutch law also requires employers and employees to take steps to support a return to work during long-term sick leave. These requirements are set out in the Gatekeeper Improvement Act (Wet verbetering poortwachter).
Employers must complete specific steps throughout an employee’s absence:
- Within one week: Report the illness to a company doctor (bedrijfsarts), who assesses the employee’s ability to work and advises on reintegration.
- By week six: The company doctor prepares a problem analysis assessing the employee’s condition and ability to return to work.
- By week eight: The employer and employee use the problem analysis to create a plan of action (Plan van Aanpak) for returning to work.
- Every six weeks afterward: Review the employee’s progress and update the reintegration plan as needed.
- By week 42: Report the ongoing absence to the UWV.
- Around week 52: Conduct a first-year evaluation to review progress and determine the next steps for reintegration.
- By week 91: Prepare the required reintegration report for the employee’s application to the UWV for long-term disability benefits.
- Throughout the leave: Continue paying the required wages and allowing the employee to accrue statutory vacation time.
Maternity Leave
Pregnant employees in the Netherlands are entitled to at least 16 weeks of pregnancy and maternity leave, paid at 100% of their daily wage up to the statutory maximum. Leave starts four to six weeks before the due date, with at least 10 weeks available after the birth.
Employees must take the first six weeks after childbirth consecutively. Employees can spread any remaining maternity leave over the following 30 weeks if they request it within three weeks after the birth.
Employers don’t fund maternity leave directly but must apply for benefits through the UWV on the employee’s behalf.
Partner Leave
Dutch employees whose partner gives birth are entitled to one week of fully paid partner leave, which they can take at any time during the first four weeks after the birth.
Employees can also take up to five additional weeks of partner leave during the first six months after the birth, which they must request at least four weeks in advance. During this period, employees receive 70% of their daily wage, up to the applicable maximum daily wage.
Employers can apply for additional partner leave benefits through the UWV on the employee’s behalf.
Parental Leave
Parental leave is available to biological, adoptive, foster, and stepparents and equals 26 times their weekly working hours for each child.
The first nine weeks are paid through the UWV at 70% of the employee’s daily wage and must be taken during the child’s first year. The remaining 17 weeks are unpaid and can be taken at any time before the child turns eight.
Employees are eligible from their first day of employment. Employers cannot deny the leave, but may request scheduling changes if the proposed timing would seriously disrupt business operations.
Adoption and Foster Care Leave
Employees who adopt or foster a child are entitled to six weeks of fully paid leave, which they can take any time from four weeks before to 22 weeks after their child’s arrival.
Employers can apply for adoption or foster care benefits through the UWV.
Care Leave
Dutch employees can also take leave to care for someone who is ill or needs support. There are two types of care leave, only one of which is paid:
- Short-term care leave: Employees can take up to twice their weekly working hours of leave within a 12-month period. For someone working 40 hours per week, that’s 80 hours, or 10 eight-hour workdays. Employees can use the leave to care for certain family members, household members, and others with whom they have a close relationship. Employers must pay at least 70% of the employee’s salary during this time.
- Long-term care leave: Employees can take up to six times their weekly working hours of unpaid leave within a 12-month period to care for someone who is seriously ill or needs ongoing care. For someone working 40 hours per week, that’s 240 hours, or six working weeks. Eligible individuals can include family members, household members, and others with whom the employee has a close relationship.
Emergency and Other Short Absence Leave
Employees in the Netherlands can take emergency leave for urgent personal situations, such as arranging care for a sick family member or dealing with an unexpected problem at home. Depending on the circumstances, the time off may last from a few hours to several days.
Employers must grant reasonable requests and continue paying the employee’s regular salary during this time.
Special and Bereavement Leave
Employees may also be entitled to special leave for certain life events, such as getting married, attending a funeral, or moving to a new home. Dutch law doesn’t require it, but a CAO, employment contract, or company policy may offer it.
Manage Paid Leave in the Netherlands With RemoFirst
Dutch leave laws include detailed rules on eligibility, pay, timing, and employer responsibilities. And leave is just one of the many employment requirements companies need to navigate in the Netherlands. Employers also need to manage compliant employment contracts, payroll, taxes, employee benefits, and other local requirements.
An Employer of Record (EOR) like RemoFirst can take care of these HR responsibilities without requiring companies to establish a local entity. RemoFirst becomes the legal employer, taking care of the local employment details while the company continues to manage the employee’s day-to-day work.
Schedule a demo to learn how RemoFirst can help you employ and manage workers in the Netherlands and 185+ other countries.
