Holiday Pay (Vakantiegeld), Allowances, Overtime and Pension in the Netherlands

Your hourly wage is only one part of what you earn in the Netherlands. Next to it come vakantiegeld, allowances, overtime and pension, and together they add up to a lot over a year. In this article we list what you get on top of your basic pay, and how you can check that you really get it.

Vakantiegeld: holiday pay

Vakantiegeld (holiday pay) is an extra amount that you build up on your gross pay. In agency work, during the assignment it follows the hiring company's percentage, which is usually 8%.

In practice it works like this:

• Every payday, part of your gross pay is saved. On your loonstrook (payslip) this usually appears as "reservering vakantiegeld".
• The saved amount is usually paid out in one go at the end of May. In the example of one big agency, this is week 21.
• If your job ends earlier, ask the agency when and how your built-up vakantiegeld will be paid.

A simple example by our own calculation: if you work 40 hours a week at the July 2026 minimum wage (€14.99 per hour), your weekly gross pay is about €600, of which 8%, about €48, is built up as vakantiegeld every week. Over a whole year this can be a nice amount.

Important: vakantiegeld is not the same as paid holiday. Holiday hours or days build up separately, and you see them on a separate line of your payslip too.

The equivalent package rule

From the first week of 2026 a new ABU and NBBU CAO (the collective agreement for agency workers) applies, running until December 2028. One of its most important points:

An agency worker must get a complete package at least equivalent ("gelijkwaardig") to that of the hiring company's own employees in a similar job. This covers:

• pay,
• allowances,
• working hours and overtime,
• breaks and night work,
• holidays.

So if the company's own workers in the factory or warehouse get a shift allowance, you must get an equivalent benefit too. On top of that, the hiring company and the agency are jointly responsible for the pay. You can also read about this on wijzerbelonen.nl.

Shift allowance

If you work rotating shifts, at night, early in the morning or at the weekend, in many places you get a ploegentoeslag (shift allowance) or another allowance linked to the time you work. It is usually given as a percentage of the hourly wage.

The amount of the allowance is not the same everywhere: it depends on the rule at the hiring company, and on which hours you work. So:

• when you apply, ask what allowance you get for each shift,
• check how it is written in your contract,
• check on your payslip that it shows as a separate line.

In a job ad, pay calculated with an allowance looks good, but you only get it in the weeks when you really work that shift.

Overtime and overtime allowance

Overtime (overuren) means you work more than the agreed hours per week or per day. In many places you get an overtime allowance for this, meaning an amount higher than the hourly wage.

Here too, the equivalent package is the starting point: if the company's own employees get an overtime allowance, you get it too. The exact rules differ by company and sector, for example after how many hours work counts as overtime, or whether the allowance is different at the weekend.

It is a good habit to write down every day when you started and when you finished. This way you can easily compare it with your payslip, and see whether all your overtime was paid.

Pension contribution

Agency workers build up a pension in the sector pension scheme. Part of it is paid by the employer, and part is deducted from your gross pay. On your payslip it appears as pensioenpremie.

The worker's share can differ by agency, and at some big agencies it went up from 2026. So do not go by a friend's payslip; look at your own contract and loonstrook.

Even if you only work in the Netherlands for a short time, it is worth keeping the letters about your pension and your payslips. What happens to the built-up pension later depends on your situation: ask the agency or the pension fund about this.

What changes in the coming years?

The Wet meer zekerheid flexwerkers (the law on more security for flex workers) has already been passed (law of 8 July 2026), and mostly comes into force from 1 January 2028, with some parts earlier. For agency workers this means a faster path to a permanent contract, and the same conditions as permanent employees.

Exactly when and how it affects you depends on your contract. Watch what your agency tells you.

How to check that you get everything

• When you apply, ask which allowances, overtime rules and vakantiegeld percentage apply at the hiring company.
• Look through your loonstrook every week: allowances, overtime, saved vakantiegeld, pension contribution.
• In May, check that the vakantiegeld payment has arrived.

On Eyesonworks.eu you can also sort manual jobs by pay, and you always reach the agency's original job ad, where you can also read about the allowances.

If something is missing, first ask the agency in writing. If that does not help, the Juridisch Loket (free legal information) or the FNV or CNV trade union can help.

In short

• Vakantiegeld is usually 8% of gross pay; it is saved for you and usually paid out at the end of May.
• As an agency worker you must get a package equivalent to the company's own employees, including allowances and overtime.
• Shift and overtime allowances differ by company, so ask about them and check your payslip.
• The pension contribution is deducted from gross pay; the worker's share can differ by agency.
• Check your loonstrook every payday, and report any mistake to the agency in writing.