There is a good chance that your temporary employment agency offers accommodation in accordance with the Flex Living Standard. The requirements can be found here.

De organisatie die deze eisen beheert, houdt ook een register bij van de bedrijven die gecertificeerde huisvesting aanbieden.

The organisation responsible for managing these requirements also keeps a register of the companies offering certified accommodation.

Check here whether your temporary employment agency is registered.

1. Enter the name of your temporary employment agency in the ‘Company name’ field.

2. See if a result appears at the bottom of the page.

3. If no result appears, ask your temporary employment agency what you can expect from your accommodation.

Everyone who lives or works in the Netherlands has to have health insurance. In many cases, you will arrange this through your temporary employment agency, which will then deduct an insurance premium from your net salary. You can see this on your payslip.

If your employer does this, your insurance company will send you a confirmation and an insurance card. This will be done within a few weeks after you have registered with them. Ask your temporary employment agency for more information if you do not receive your confirmation and insurance card.

A collective labour agreement (CLA) contains agreements between employers’ organisations and trade unions. Employers and employees have to follow these rules if the CLA has been approved by the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment.

Check whether your temporary employment agency is a member of ABU or NBBU. If it is, the temporary employment agency has to follow the CLA for these organisation(s).

View the CLA for NBBU

>NBBU CAO Uitzendkrachten EN.pdf

If you are 21 years of age or older, you should receive at least € 9.44 per hour for a normal working week of 40 hours. This is stipulated in Dutch law. The amount is slightly higher if your sector has a normal working week of less than 40 hours. The amount will be lower the younger you are under the age of 21.

Click here for an overview of legal minimum wages.

Check your CLA to see whether you are entitled to any specific allowances. Allowances for overtime or shift work, for example, are not required by law but you are entitled to the allowances stated in your CLA if the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment has approved the CLA.

According to Dutch law, anyone over the age of 14 has to carry a valid ID card at all times. Your temporary employment agency or the company where you work can ask you for identification. Please note: Your ID card must always remain in your possession. It is therefore not okay if someone takes your ID card with them and does not return it to you.

A normal working day lasts 8 hours in most companies. Of course, you may sometimes work more or fewer hours per day. In the Netherlands, you are allowed to work up to a maximum of 12 hours a day. Even if your boss would like you to work more hours and even if you yourself would like to work more hours. This is stipulated in the Dutch Working Hours Act.

What else does it say about working hours:

• You are entitled to a break every 4 hours.

• You will never have to work more than 60 hours in a week.

• In a period of 4 weeks, you are allowed to work up to a maximum of 54 hours per week on average.

• In a period of 13 weeks, you are allowed to work up to a maximum of 48 hours per week on average.

• There has to be at least 11 hours of rest time between shifts and this may be limited to 8 hours at most once a week.

Only in case of an emergency, these rules do not apply. An emergency is, for example, a fire or a power failure. So you will hardly ever find that the rules above do not apply.