Checking the 2026 minimum wage: hourly rate, age and deductions

Use the rate for the correct period

For employees aged 21 or older, the minimum hourly rate was €14.71 gross from 1 January 2026 and €14.99 from 1 July. Do not calculate a whole year’s arrears with one rate. A birthday can also affect youth minimum pay. Keep a timeline of pay periods and relevant rate changes. A cao increase may apply separately. Recheck official rates for future months; this guide does not pre-establish next year’s amount.

Younger employees and BBL training need attention

Employees aged 15 through 20 have age-based minimum youth hourly rates. Different scales may apply to certain BBL work-based training programmes. Check exact age and agreement type before copying a table amount. Check whether the cao requires a higher youth salary or different classification too. An employer saying you are “still a student” has not fully explained why lower pay is valid. Ask which statutory or cao category applies.

From hourly rate to checking monthly salary

Record the hours relevant to minimum-pay calculation, including relevant work and paid leave or sickness hours. Compare these with payroll. Months differ in working days; since hourly rates were introduced, no single statutory minimum monthly salary applies to every working pattern. With fixed monthly pay, the employer’s method of meeting the legal minimum must be clear. Request the calculation if only a monthly amount appears. Have unusual schedules and fixed annual arrangements checked separately if needed.

Extra hours may reveal a low effective rate

A salary above the minimum on paper may produce another result when substantial extra hours are worked. Check overtime, compulsory meetings and other relevant work time. A clause including some overtime in salary does not automatically remove the statutory floor. Record hours alongside instructions or necessity. Not every moment voluntarily spent online automatically counts as paid work; actual arrangements and expectations require investigation.

Assess holiday allowance and cao pay separately

The statutory minimum is a floor, not standard pay for every role. A cao may require a higher scale, increment or supplement. Also check holiday allowance under applicable rules; comparing base hourly pay alone may miss a component. Request an identifiable breakdown of an all-in rate. Do not double-count the same wage difference as both a cao shortfall and minimum-wage shortfall. The task is identifying the correct entitlement, not claiming the same difference twice.

Deductions and set-off need their own basis

Tax and employee contributions reduce net pay below gross pay. That differs from employer deductions for housing, transport or equipment. Protective rules and conditions govern deductions from minimum pay. For each item, ask its purpose, consent or legal basis and calculation. A signed form does not automatically permit every deduction. Keep separate invoices too, identifying which costs are collected outside payroll and by whom.

What to do about suspected underpayment

Request a corrected calculation showing hours, rate, age category and deductions. Attach your own monthly overview. A wage claim may be necessary for non-payment; suspected minimum-wage breaches may also justify reporting to the Netherlands Labour Authority. A report does not mean immediate payment to your account. Monitor the payment claim, evidence and deadlines separately. For agency work, first identify the legal employer and any relevant chain liability.

Example: the old rate remains on the payslip

You are 24 and your hourly rate stays €14.71 after 1 July 2026. For each subsequent period, check relevant hours and calculate the difference against €14.99 before considering any higher cao entitlement. Request arrears and corrected slips, and check related amounts such as holiday allowance. This simple example does not address special pay components or deductions. It demonstrates why rate date, hours and additional rights each belong in the check, even where the hourly difference seems small. Example for the second half of 2026: for 100 qualifying hours at age 21 or older, 100 × €14.99 = €1,499 gross is the simple hourly-floor check, excluding holiday allowance. This does not determine your collective-agreement wage or a universal monthly minimum.

Practical checklist

• Use official rates for the correct date and age.
• Compare gross pay against all relevant hours.
• Check higher cao entitlements and holiday allowance separately.
• Request substantiation for every deduction and retain payslips.