During the working week, staff must be granted rest time as follows:
36 hours in any consecutive period of 7 times 24 hours;
or 72 hours in any consecutive period of 14 times 24 hours which rest period can be divided into continuous rest periods of at least 32 hours each.
This means that the shift plan must allow for 1 day of rest per week. For example, if an employee finishes the work week on Tuesday evening at 20h00, the next shift may start at 08h00 on Thursday morning at the earliest.
Sundays and Public Holidays
Staff may be required to work on Sundays, as long as this is stipulated in the employment contract.
Staff may be required to work on Public Holidays, unless it is otherwise stipulated in the employment contract or collective agreement.
The following public holidays in the Netherlands must be taken into account:
27 April 2023 (King’s Day)
5 May 2023 (Liberation Day)
18 May 2023 Ascension Day
28 and 29 May 2023 Whit Sunday and Whit Monday
At Night
Special rules apply to staff who work “at night”. A shift is a night shift if more than 1 hour of work takes place between 0h00 and 6h00.
Maximum working hours per shift for a night worker is 10 hours.
For example, this means that:
if staff works until 01h00 a day shift of maximum 12 hours can be scheduled
if staff works later than 01h00 a night shift of maximum 10 hours must be scheduled
Exceptionally, a night shift of 12 hours may be scheduled, but only if it is followed by uninterrupted rest period of 12 hours immediately following the shift.
Maximum working hours per week for a night worker is 48 hours in each 16-week period.
However, if an employee works 16 (or more) night shifts in a 16 week-period, the maximum average working time per week is 40 hours.
In the event of a night shift that finishes after 02h00, staff must be granted a minimum rest period of 14 hours. In each 16-week period no more than 36 night shifts that end after 02h00 must be scheduled.
Following 3 or more consecutive nights shifts, staff must be granted at least 46 hours continuous rest time.