Unpaid wages: what should you do first?

Unpaid wages: what should you do first? General information.

If your salary has not been paid, list what was due and what was received for each pay period. Use your contract, payslips, hours and bank statements. This distinguishes a payment mistake from disagreement about entitlement.

Ask the employer in writing to pay the outstanding wages, specifying the periods concerned. Ask why payment has not been made too. Keep the letter and reply to prepare any next step with concrete evidence.

Late payment may trigger a statutory increase. This can reach fifty percent, but conditions apply and the court may reduce it. Do not assume the maximum will automatically be awarded.

Statutory interest differs from the statutory increase. List the unpaid wages, possible increase and interest separately. The correct calculation depends on amounts, payment dates and applicable rules.

You can bring a wage claim before the kantonrechter, the subdistrict court judge. A lawyer is not compulsory. Urgent proceedings may suit an urgent case; a major evidence dispute may need another route. Discuss costs and deadlines too.

When a wage dispute also concerns dismissal, separate short deadlines may apply. Establish promptly which steps are necessary. The wage-claim guide helps you organise the calculation, evidence and questions.

Read the full explanation and sources on Employment Law in the Netherlands. Have someone assess which rules apply to your situation.