Zero-hours contracts no longer allowed

What changes? 

Do you employ staff on zero-hours contracts? If the work is structural, you should offer them a (permanent) contract. In the future, zero-hours contracts will no longer be allowed. Workers with on-call contracts should get a basic contract for the minimum number of hours they are generally scheduled to work. This way employees will know better what to expect. 

Bandwidth contract 

Instead of zero-hours contracts, there will be bandwidth contracts. In these, minimum and maximum hours will be agreed, with the difference being a maximum of 130%. This means that for a minimum of 10 hours, the maximum is 13 hours. An employee may refuse calls that exceed the maximum limit. And if the work is consistently for more hours, thye employee must be offered a contract for more hours.

Young people, pupils, students with a job on the side, and state pensioners will still be allowed to work on on-call contracts.

For whom?

• employers with staff on zero-hours contracts

When?

It is expected this change will enter into force on 1 January 2027.

Please note: The effective date of this measure is not yet final. Entry into force is subject to its passing through the Upper and Lower Houses (Eerste en Tweede Kamer) of parliament or proclamation of the Order in Council (Algemene Maatregel van Bestuur, AMvB) or ministerial decree and publication in the Staatsblad or Staatscourant (Government Gazette, in Dutch).