Working Hours in the Netherlands 2025 – Rules, Limits and Overtime

Author

Sophie

Strategic Business Consultant

Forget the relentless grind. In the Netherlands, productivity is measured in output and not in hours clocked. Here, leaving the office at 5 PM to cycle home for dinner is the norm, and prioritising personal time is a national virtue. This isn’t a far-off dream, but the reality of the Dutch approach to work. It’s a system meticulously supported by law and culture.

If you’re an international professional curious about how to achieve a genuine work-life balance, understanding the rules around working hours in the Netherlands is your first step. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about the Dutch workweek in 2025. That’s from legal limits to the cultural shifts making it all possible.

Note that understanding Dutch working hours is essential not only for employees and jobseekers, but also for foreign employers looking to build or manage compliant teams in the Netherlands.

Overview of working hours in the Netherlands

The Dutch philosophy towards work is simple: work to live, don’t live to work. This mindset is reflected in the shortest average working week in the European Union. In 2024, employees in the Netherlands worked an average of 32.1 hours per week. That’s a figure highlighting a cultural commitment to personal time and family life.

So, what does a standard week look like? Typically, working hours in the Netherlands run from 9:00 AM to 5:00 or 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Furthermore, a full-time role generally means anywhere between 36 and 40 hours per week. In fact, 36 or 38-hour weeks are surprisingly common for what is considered a full-time position.

The exact definition can be influenced by the specific sector’s Collective Labour Agreement (Collectieve Arbeidsovereenkomst or CAO), which sets terms and conditions for entire industries.

The remarkably low national average is largely driven by the widespread normalisation of part-time work. A significant portion of the workforce, especially working mothers, chooses part-time schedules. This has solidified a “one-and-a-half” earning model in many households, where one partner works full-time and the other part-time. That’s a structure supported by tax policies and social norms.

This cultural embrace of flexibility means that for many, a workweek Netherlands style effectively translates to a four-day workweek. It’s not a formal policy but a common individual choice.

Legal limits on working hours and overtime

The Dutch commitment to protecting employees from burnout is enshrined in law. The Working Hours Act (Arbeidstijdenwet) sets clear boundaries to safeguard health and well-being. These regulations apply to most employees, with very limited exceptions for high-level managerial staff.

Dutch labour law establishes the following maximum limits to prevent excessive work:

• Per day: A maximum of 12 hours in a single shift.
• Per week: A maximum of 60 hours during any given week.

However, these upper limits are designed for short peaks. To ensure sustainable working patterns over the longer term, the law imposes stricter averages:

• Over a 4-week period, the average working week must not exceed55 hours.
• Over a 16-week period, the average must not exceed 48 hours.

These rules ensure that even during busy periods, the intensity cannot be maintained indefinitely. For young workers under the age of 18, the regulations are even more protective, with a strict maximum of 8 hours per day.

It’s important to note that these are the legal ceilings. The standard working week for a full-time employee is significantly lower. You’ll find that overtime is more the exception than the rule in Dutch workplace culture.

Overtime rules and compensation

In the Netherlands, the concept of overtime is approached differently than in countries with a strong hustle culture. Overtime is generally defined as any time worked beyond the hours stipulated in your individual employment contract, not beyond a universal 40-hour work week.

That’s because the standard full-time week can be 36 or 38 hours, while overtime can technically begin sooner than you might expect. You can use our payroll services in the Netherlands to ensure the correct overtime compensation is paid.

A key aspect of Dutch labour law is that it does not mandate a standardised overtime pay rate. The Netherlands lacks a legal statute that dictates whether overtime should be paid at 1.5x or 2x. Instead, how overtime is compensated is determined by two primary sources:

1. Your employment contract: Always review your contract carefully. It may specify that a certain amount of overtime is considered part of your job and is covered by your monthly salary. Alternatively, it may outline a specific compensation rate.
2. The Collective Labour Agreement (CAO): If your industry has a CAO, it will almost certainly contain provisions regarding overtime compensation. This often provides more favourable terms than individual contracts.

The most common forms of compensation are either extra salary paid for the additional hours or time off in lieu (known as ADV days). Crucially, a fundamental principle is that employees are typically only paid for overtime that has been explicitly requested or approved by the employer.

If you choose to work late voluntarily to manage your own workload, you may not be entitled to extra compensation. This system places emphasis on clear communication between employer and employee regarding expectations for working beyond contractual hours.

Rest breaks and mandatory rest periods

Dutch law recognises that rest is not a luxury but a necessity for sustained productivity and health. Therefore, the regulations are precise about breaks during the day and rest between shifts.

Also, employers are obligated to keep records of working hours and rest periods to ensure compliance. Our umbrella company model can help you manage paperwork to avoid compliance problems.

Break rights during the workday

The length of your break is legally tied to the length of your shift:

• If you work more than 5.5 hours in a day, you are entitled to a minimum break of 30 minutes.
• If your shift extends beyond 10 hours, you are entitled to a total break of 45 minutes. This can be split into shorter periods, such as 15 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes at lunch. That’s as long as each segment is at least 15 minutes long.

It’s worth noting that these breaks are typically unpaid and are intended for you to rest and eat. The law specifically states that a break cannot be used to start late or finish early. Hence, it must occur during the work period.

Daily and weekly rest periods

The legal requirements for rest between shifts are just as important:

• Daily rest: After finishing work, an employee must have at least 11 consecutive hours of rest before the next shift begins. In certain circumstances, this can be reduced to 8 hours once per week.
• Weekly rest: Each employee must have a continuous rest period of at least 36 hours every week. This can also be averaged over two weeks, providing 72 hours of rest in a 14-day period.

Note that the rules are even more protective for night workers. After a series of night shifts, a minimum rest period of 46 hours is required. These mandatory rest periods are a cornerstone of the Dutch approach. It ensures that employees have adequate time to recover and maintain a healthy life outside of work.

Flexible and part-time working arrangements

Flexibility is the beating heart of the Dutch labour market. The Netherlands is a world leader in part-time work, with the majority of the total workforce working part-time hours. This isn’t just a trend, but a deeply embedded feature supported by strong legal protections.

They ensure part-time workers receive the same rights as their full-time colleagues when it comes to holiday allowance, pension accrual, and career development opportunities.

The legal framework empowering this flexibility is robust. Under the Flexible Working Act (Wet flexibel werken), employees who have been with their employer for at least six months have the right to formally request changes to their working conditions.

This can include:

• Requesting to work fewer hours (a move to part-time).
• Adjusting start and finish times (flextime).
• Requesting to work from home or from a different location.

While employers can refuse such a request, they must do so in writing, and only based on strong and objective business reasons. The burden of proof is on the employer to demonstrate that the adjustment would cause significant operational problems. We can support these requests by taking advantage of our HR solutions.

This right has been instrumental in allowing individuals to tailor their careers to their personal lives. That’s particularly true for working parents. The widespread adoption of remote work has further cemented this culture of flexibility, with many companies now offering work-from-home stipends.

This approach proves that flexible arrangements are not a barrier to productivity. On the contrary, the Netherlands maintains a low unemployment rate and a highly productive workforce. It demonstrates that trusting employees to manage their time effectively benefits everyone.

Embracing balance with confidence

The Dutch approach to work offers a powerful model for sustainable productivity. Understanding the rules around the workweek in the Netherlands is essential for any professional seeking to thrive in this environment.

For international companies, overcoming these regulations can be complex. Hence, partnering with an Employer of Record (EOR) simplifies this process. An EOR acts as the legal employer on paper. They ensure full compliance with Dutch labour law, manage payroll, and handle all administrative burdens.

Whether you’re a business looking to hire compliantly, or a professional who needs extra support with relocation:

Contact us to learn how we can support you

Frequently asked questions

What is the average working week in the Netherlands?

The Netherlands average working hours are the shortest in the EU. In 2024, the average for employees aged 20-64 was 32.1 hours per week. This low average is due to the high rate of part-time work. For a full-time employee, the average week is around 39.2 hours, but standard full-time contracts often range from 36 to 40 hours.

Can my employer force me to work overtime?

Your employer cannot typically force you to work unlimited overtime. The legal maximums of 12 hours per day and 60 hours per week always apply. Furthermore, compensation for overtime is usually only required if the extra work was explicitly requested by the employer.

Your specific rights will be detailed in your employment contract or the applicable Collective Labour Agreement, which you should always consult first.

How many vacation days am I legally entitled to?

For a full-time employee, the minimum legal entitlement is four times the weekly working hours. Therefore, if you work 40 hours per week, this translates to 20 vacation days per year.

Author

Sophie

Strategic Business Consultant

As a strategic business consultant based in the Netherlands, she supports international businesses in successfully expanding their operations across the Dutch market. With her expertise in market entry strategies and business development, she helps companies navigate the unique challenges of establishing a foothold in the Netherlands. Her keen insight into local business practices and regulations makes her a trusted partner for HR managers and business development teams. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, exploring the Dutch countryside, or relaxing with a good book by the canals in Utrecht.