Everybody is entitled to minimum wage - docs.szw.nl

Everybody is entitled to
minimum wage
Are you receiving a minimum wage?
Are you working in the Netherlands and are you below the age of 65? Then you are entitled
to the Dutch minimum wage. This also applies if you are a foreigner. Your employer may pay
you more, but not less. You are also entitled to holiday allowance.
Gross minimum wage
• The gross minimum wage is set out in the Minimum Wage and Minimum Holiday
Allowance Act (Wet minimumloon en minimumvakantiebijslag). Your employer is
obliged to put the gross minimum wage that applies to you on your wage slip.
• Your employer deducts tax and national insurance contributions from the gross amounts.
That is why your net wage is lower. Net wage is the wage you will receive.
• Each year, the gross amounts are increased on 1 January and on 1 July.
Gross minimum wage on 1 July 2010 in euros
Age
per month
per week
per day
23 years and over
22 years
21 years
20 years
19 years
18 years
17 years
16 years
1.416,00
1.203,60
1.026,60
870,85
743,40
644,30
559,30
488,50
326,75
277,75
236,90
200,95
171,55
148,70
129,05
112,75
65,35
55,55
47,38
40,19
34,31
29,74
25,81
22,55
15 years
424,80
98,05
19,61
Please note: The hourly wages are not statutory standard amounts. The amounts serve as a guideline. In
calculating the wage to be paid the employer must always take the full statutory minimum wage per day. per
week or per month as a starting point. The use of the indicative hourly wage can result in underpayment due
to rounding off.
Net minimum wage
• The net amounts are not specified in the Act. The net wage is the wage you receive in your
account or in cash.
• How much you receive net depends on the tax and national insurance contributions
which are deducted from your wage. This can be different for each person.
2 | Everybody is entitled to minimum wage
What is the amount of your hourly minimum
wage?
The amounts of the statutory minimum wage apply to a full working week. Usually
this is 36, 38 or 40 hours per week. It depends on the sector in which you work. If
you work part-time, the minimum wage you are entitled to is also lower. If you
work more hours, you are entitled to a higher wage.
Example: A full working week of 38 hours applies at your company. You’re 23 years old and
work only 24 hours per week. You should receive at least € 206,37 gross per week. This is
the minimum working week wage of € 326,75 divided by ,38 hours, multiplied by 24 hours.
Gross minimum wage per hour for a 36, 38, and 40 hour working week,
on 1 July 2010 in euros.
Age
working week:
36 hours
working week:
38 hours
working week:
40 hours
23 years and over
22 years
21 years
20 years
19 years
9,08
7,72
6,58
5,58
4,77
8,60
7,31
6,23
5,29
4,51
8,17
6,94
5,92
5,02
4,29
18 years
17 years
16 years
15 years
4,13
3,58
3,13
2,72
3,91
3,40
2,97
2,58
3,72
3,23
2,82
2,45
Piece work wages
Even if you are paid piece work wages, you will be entitled to the minimum wage. Piece
work is, for instance: payment per case, per kilogram, per square metre. For one hour’s
work at a normal pace you should be able to earn the minimum wage per hour.
Everybody is entitled to minimum wage | 3
How much is the holiday allowance?
If you work in the Netherlands, you are entitled to holiday allowance. In the Act this is called
‘minimum holiday allowance’. This should not be less than 8 percent of your gross wage.
The holiday allowance is paid on top of your ordinary wage. Your employer can pay this
amount in parts or in one lump sum once a year. The holiday allowance must be stated
separately on your wage slip.
If you stop working for your employer, your employer must pay you the remaining holiday
allowance, together with your last earned wage.
4 | Everybody is entitled to minimum wage
How do you know whether you receive the
right wages?
The amount of the minimum wage is adjusted twice a year, in January and July. This is the
gross wage on full-time basisIf you want to check whether you receive (more than) the
minimum wage, you have to add up the following amounts:
• the (basic) wage specified in your employment contract;
• the bonuses you receive. For instance, you may receive a bonus for delivering a certain
performance, for working shifts, for irregular working hours, standby duty and work
circumstances;
• fixed remunerations for the turnover you generate. They are paid to you with each
payment term;
• remunerations from third parties. For instance tips. You receive these remunerations
through your work;
• There should also be an arrangement with your employer.
The sum total of these amounts should not be less than the minimum wage.
Overtime is not included
In determining the amount of the minimum wage any overtime, holiday allowance and
distribution of profits are, for instance, not taken into account.
Part-time work and minimum wage
The amount of your gross minimum wage depends on the number of hours you work. If
you work part-time, the gross minimum wage is proportionately lower.
Wage slip
The statutory minimum wage applicable to you is stated on your wage slip.
What is printed on your wage slip?
You will receive a wage slip from your employer. You can find the following details on it:
• your gross wage;
• how this gross wage is built up, for instance your basic wage and the performance
bonuses;
• the statutory minimum wage and the minimum holiday allowance applicable to you;
• your name and the name of your employer;
• the period for which you are paid, for instance the month of July;
• the number of hours that you work.
On your wage slip you can also find the payroll tax and national insurance contributions.
You can see, for instance, the national insurance contributions (AOW, ANW, AWBZ) and the
contribution under the Healthcare Insurance Act are withheld from your gross wage by the
employer. These contributions are paid to the tax authorities.
Check
You can check your wage slip to see whether you have received enough wages.
Everybody is entitled to minimum wage | 5
What can you do if the wage you receive is too
low?
If your wage is below the minimum level, first talk with your employer. If this does not help,
you can submit a complaint to the Labour Inspectorate. You can also do this anonymously.
See the address and telephone number at the back of this brochure.
You can also go directly to the District Court. A trade union, legal advice centre, legal help
desk or social advisor can give you advice.
You can also claim wages at a later stage
Even if you discover at a later stage that your wage was below the minimum level, you can
claim the unpaid difference. You can do this within 5 years. You must claim unpaid holiday
allowance within two years.
6 | Everybody is entitled to minimum wage
More information
Do you have any other questions about this brochure or do you want to order more copies
of it? Just call the Postbus 51 info call centre, tel. 0800-8051 (free of charge),
or 0031 77 4656767 if calling from a foreign country, or visit www.rijksoverheid.nl.
On www.english.szw.nl you will also find English language information about the
minimum wage and holiday allowance, social security and safety and health at work.
Are you underpaid? Just call the office of the Labour Inspectorate: 0800-270 00 00.
More information: Labour Inspectorate: www.arbeidsinspectie.nl.
Everybody is entitled to minimum wage | 7
Ministerie van Sociale Zaken en
Werkgelegenheid
Ordernumber 207e
July 2010
Free publication