Income Archives

My employer has made a commitment to extend my contract or to extend hours. Can he come back to this?

A commitment or promise counts as an offer. Have you agreed to this offer? Then this in principle leads to a new employment contract. Your employer is therefore not allowed to simply go back on this.

What is the actual wage?

This is the gross salary as stated on the pay slip.

Does the allowance for on-call duty include hours worked?

If you are called during on-call duty and actually have to work, you should also be paid for the hours worked, possibly at special hours if applicable. This applies, for example, to working on a Sunday if it is not a working day for you at that time. The surcharge for on-call duty may, for example, include working hours if you are called during this shift and have a conversation of a few minutes.

How much can I earn in my job?

The law does not determine how much you should earn if you fulfill a specific position. If a collective labor agreement applies, your employer must adhere to the job classification and corresponding salary scales of the relevant collective labor agreement. Doesn't a collective labor agreement apply? Then in principle you can negotiate with your employer about the amount of your wages. This so-called wage negotiation comes from two sides. You as an employee naturally have your requirements and wishes, but your employer has those too. The only thing your (potential) employer must observe is the legal minimum wage (WML).

What is the legal minimum wage?

To prevent underpayment, the law states that as an employee you should receive a statutory minimum wage, based on your age. This is further independent of your position and experience. The Statutory Minimum Wage (WML) is the gross wage that employees over the age of 21 must earn. The statutory minimum youth wages apply to employees between the ages of 15 and 20. These wages are adjusted twice a year, in January and in July.

Am I entitled to continued payment of my wages during my break?

No. In principle, you are not entitled to wages during breaks. After all, you are not working. The Working Hours Act therefore does not include anything about continued payment during breaks.

Am I entitled to continued payment of my wages if I am not working on a public holiday?

Contrary to what is often expected, there is no statutory regulation for employees that public holidays should be days off. In your employment contract, collective labor agreement or personnel guide you can check whether you are free on a public holiday and under what conditions your wages will continue to be paid. Whether your wages continue to be paid during public holidays therefore depends on your situation.