Dutch Hospitality CLA 2025-2026: pay, working hours and your rights
The Dutch Hospitality Industry Collective Labour Agreement contains agreements on pay, working hours, holidays, sickness, leave and employment contracts for employees working in hotels, restaurants, cafés and other hospitality businesses. The current collective labour agreement applies from 1 January 2025 up to and including 31 December 2026.
Which rules apply to you depends on factors such as your employer, position, age, contract and whether you qualify as a skilled employee under the collective labour agreement. On this page, you will find the most important provisions of the Hospitality CLA and links to detailed information on each subject.
Last reviewed for accuracy: 23 July 2026
What is the Dutch Hospitality CLA?
A CLA is a collective labour agreement. In a collective labour agreement, employers’ organisations and employees’ organisations make agreements on employment conditions. The Dutch Hospitality Industry Collective Labour Agreement 2025-2026 was concluded by Royal Hospitality Netherlands, De Horecabond and CNV.
The collective labour agreement contains provisions on matters including:
minimum wages and job categories;
general salary increases and performance-based pay;
working hours, schedules and rest periods;
additional hours, overtime and deficit hours;
holidays and special leave;
continued payment of wages during sickness;
public holidays and night shifts;
probationary periods and notice periods;
interns and BBL students.
The collective labour agreement does not exist separately from Dutch law. Your employer must also comply with legislation including the Dutch Civil Code, the Working Hours Act and the Minimum Wage and Minimum Holiday Allowance Act.
Which takes priority: the law, the CLA or your employment contract?
The law usually provides the statutory minimum standard. The collective labour agreement supplements those rules and may deviate from them in certain areas where the law permits this. Your employment contract may contain more favourable arrangements, but it may not reduce your rights below a mandatory statutory or CLA minimum.
For example, does your contract provide a higher salary, more holiday days or a more favourable allowance than the collective labour agreement? In principle, that more favourable arrangement will continue to apply. An employer cannot simply reduce such an employment condition unilaterally.
Who is covered by the Dutch Hospitality CLA?
The Dutch Hospitality CLA applies to employers and employees who fall within its scope. These are generally businesses whose activities mainly consist of providing accommodation, meals, drinks or related hospitality services.
Examples include:
hotels and hotel restaurants;
restaurants and lunchrooms;
cafés and bars;
fast-service businesses;
conference and meeting venues that provide hospitality services;
other businesses classified as hospitality businesses under the collective labour agreement.
Not every business that serves food or drinks automatically falls under the Dutch Hospitality CLA. A business may, for example, be covered by another sectoral collective labour agreement or may have a valid exemption.
How can you check whether the CLA applies to you?
Start by checking:
your employment contract;
your payslip;
the staff handbook;
your employer’s business activities;
information provided by HR or your manager.
Your employment contract should state which collective labour agreement applies. If this is unclear, ask your employer for written confirmation. Simply stating that the company uses “its own employment conditions” is not sufficient if the Dutch Hospitality CLA is legally required to apply.
You can find more information about the different types of employment agreements on the page about on-call, temporary and permanent contracts in the hospitality industry.
Pay and salary under the Dutch Hospitality CLA
The minimum amount you must earn does not depend only on the statutory minimum wage. If the Dutch Hospitality CLA applies, your employer must also take account of your age, job category and whether you are classified as a skilled employee, non-skilled employee or BBL student.
Statutory minimum wage and CLA wage
The statutory minimum wage is the absolute legal minimum. From 1 July 2026, the statutory minimum hourly wage for employees aged 21 and over is €14.99 gross per hour. Statutory youth minimum wages apply to employees aged 15 to 20.
The collective labour agreement may prescribe a higher minimum wage. Your employer must always pay at least the highest amount that applies to your situation.
View the current wage rates and learn the difference between skilled and non-skilled employees on the page about the minimum wage in the hospitality industry.
Job categories
Under the Dutch Hospitality CLA, jobs are classified into job categories. The complexity of the role, the level of responsibility and the knowledge and skills required determine which job category applies.
The work you actually perform is more important than the job title stated in your employment contract. If you consistently perform duties at a higher level than the category you have been placed in, there may be grounds to have your job classification reviewed.
Skilled and non-skilled employees
A skilled employee meets the qualification or experience requirements attached to the position under the collective labour agreement. A relevant vocational qualification may be sufficient, while demonstrable work experience can also qualify an employee as skilled under the conditions of the CLA.
This distinction affects the applicable wage table. Skilled employees aged 20 and over receive the full basic wage for their job category. Different percentages and wage tables apply to younger skilled and non-skilled employees.
Salary increases in 2026
Not every hospitality employee automatically receives the same salary increase each year. In 2026, the general CLA wage increases differed by job category and effective date. Some increases also required employees to have been employed by the same employer for at least one year.
In addition, the collective labour agreement includes a 2% performance-based salary increase under certain conditions. Since 1 January 2025, the salary increments shown in the wage tables have been indicative and no longer represent automatic annual pay progression.
Read which salary increase applies to your job category on the page about salary increases under the Dutch Hospitality CLA.
Gross and net salary
Both the statutory minimum wage and the CLA wage are gross amounts. Deductions such as income tax, social security contributions and pension contributions are withheld from your gross salary. Your net salary depends on your income, age, tax credits, pension contributions and other personal circumstances.
On the page What is your net salary in a hotel job?, you can find out which deductions you may see on your payslip.
Tips
Tips can be a valuable addition to your income, but your employer remains responsible for paying the correct salary. Receiving tips does not allow an employer to reduce your contractual salary or the minimum wage required under the collective labour agreement.
How tips are collected and distributed varies from one employer to another. Clear agreements help prevent disputes about tip pooling, distribution between departments and payments to on-call employees.
Learn more about the rules and agreements regarding tips in the hospitality industry.
Holiday allowance
In addition to your regular salary, you accrue holiday allowance. Under Dutch law, this is generally at least 8% of the salary on which holiday allowance is due. How and when it is paid depends on your employment contract and your employer’s payroll administration.
Find out how holiday allowance is accrued and paid on the page about holiday allowance in the hospitality industry.
Working hours, schedules and additional hours
The Dutch Hospitality CLA uses an annual hours system. For a full-time employee, the standard working time is 1,976 hours per reference period, which equals an average of 38 hours per week.
A reference period consists of twelve consecutive months. This is often the calendar year or holiday year, although the employer and employee may agree on a different reference period.
Work schedules and availability
When planning work schedules, employers must comply with the collective labour agreement, the Dutch Working Hours Act and the agreed working hours. The rules cover issues such as maximum working hours, minimum rest periods, breaks and night work.
Work schedules must clearly indicate when employees are expected to work. Additional statutory rules apply to on-call employees regarding call-up notice periods and the cancellation or amendment of scheduled shifts.
Read more about the limits on working hours and break entitlements on the page about working hours and breaks under the Dutch Hospitality CLA.
Additional hours and overtime
Additional hours and overtime are not the same.
Additional hours are hours worked above your contractual working hours but within the normal annual hours standard for a full-time employee.
Overtime refers to hours worked above the annual working hours standard set by the collective labour agreement.
Additional hours are generally compensated with paid time off. If time off in lieu is not granted within the period specified by the collective labour agreement, the hours must be paid.
The Dutch Hospitality CLA does not provide a general overtime premium of 50% or 100%. However, employers may offer more favourable arrangements.
Read the full explanation and practical examples on the page about overtime and compensation in the hospitality industry.
Plus hours and deficit hours
Because the collective labour agreement uses a reference period, the number of hours worked may vary throughout the year. You may work more hours during busy periods and fewer hours during quieter periods.
At the end of the reference period, the total number of hours worked is assessed. An employer cannot automatically deduct deficit hours from your salary or holiday entitlement in every situation. Whether this is allowed depends, among other things, on how the deficit hours arose and who is responsible for them.
Read more about the conditions on the page about plus hours and deficit hours in the hospitality industry.
Night shifts
Night work is subject to additional rules under the Dutch Working Hours Act. These rules determine, among other things, the maximum length of a night shift and the minimum rest period after working at night.
The Dutch Hospitality CLA does not provide a general night-shift allowance for every employee working after a certain time. However, specific night positions in accommodation businesses may qualify for a separate arrangement. Your employment contract or your employer’s own employment conditions may also provide a more favourable allowance.
Read more about night shifts, rest periods and night-shift allowances in the hospitality industry.
Allowances and working on public holidays
Working in the evening, at night or during the weekend does not automatically entitle you to a general allowance under the Dutch Hospitality CLA. An employer may voluntarily apply an allowance scheme or include agreements about this in the employment contract or staff handbook.
For work performed on recognised public holidays, the collective labour agreement does include a separate compensation scheme. The compensation you receive depends, among other things, on the number of hours worked and whether time off is granted within the applicable period.
A public holiday that falls on your regular day off does not automatically entitle you to an additional day off. Working on a public holiday is also not the same as working overtime: both arrangements must be assessed separately.
View the conditions and examples on the page about working on public holidays under the Dutch Hospitality CLA.
Holidays, days off and special leave
Employees accrue holiday hours over the hours for which they are entitled to wages. The Dutch Hospitality CLA provides for both statutory and additional holiday entitlement.
Taking holiday leave
You request holiday leave from your employer. In principle, an employer must approve the requested period unless compelling business interests prevent this. A refusal must be communicated in good time and must include the reasons for the decision.
Statutory holiday hours are subject to a different expiry period than additional holiday hours. Employers must also genuinely enable employees to take their holiday leave and provide sufficient notice when holiday hours are at risk of expiring.
Find out how much holiday leave you accrue and when holiday hours expire on the page about holiday entitlement in the hospitality industry.
Special and extraordinary leave
The collective labour agreement provides entitlement to paid extraordinary leave for a limited number of family events. These include your own marriage, certain marriages and anniversaries within the family, and the death of close family members.
In addition, statutory leave arrangements include:
emergency leave;
short-term absence leave;
partner leave following childbirth;
short-term care leave;
long-term care leave;
parental leave.
A doctor’s appointment does not automatically qualify as care leave, and moving house does not create a general right to a paid day off under the standard Dutch Hospitality CLA.
Find out how much leave applies to each event on the page about special leave under the Dutch Hospitality CLA.
Sickness and continued payment of wages
If you are unable to work due to illness, report sick in accordance with your employer’s absence procedure. You do not have to tell your manager which medical condition you have. However, your employer may ask for practical information, such as how long you expect to be absent and whether you are available for contact with the occupational health service.
During sickness, an employee in the Netherlands is generally entitled to continued payment of wages for up to 104 weeks. The amount paid depends on the law, the collective labour agreement and the circumstances of the sickness absence.
The Dutch Hospitality CLA contains additional provisions on matters including:
a possible waiting day;
the amount of continued wage payment;
additional payment when reintegration obligations are met;
sickness caused by a workplace accident;
rights and obligations during reintegration.
Both the employee and the employer must cooperate with the reintegration process. If an employee fails to do so without a valid reason, this may affect wage payments.
Read about the percentages, conditions and exceptions on the page about continued payment of wages during sickness in the hospitality industry.
Employment contracts, probationary periods and resignation
Different types of employment contracts are used in the hospitality industry. These include fixed-term and permanent employment contracts, on-call contracts, min-max contracts and work-study agreements.
On-call, temporary or permanent contract
The type of contract determines, among other things:
how many hours are guaranteed;
when you must be called in to work;
whether wages are due when a shift is cancelled;
when the contract ends;
which notice rules apply.
For a fixed-term contract lasting six months or longer, the employer must generally inform the employee in writing no later than one month before the end date whether the contract will be renewed. This is known as the statutory notification obligation.
View the differences on the page about employment contract types in the hospitality industry.
Probationary period
A probationary period is only valid if it has been agreed in writing and remains within the statutory limits. A fixed-term contract of six months or less may not include a probationary period.
During a valid probationary period, both the employer and the employee may terminate the employment contract with immediate effect. The normal notice period does not apply. However, if requested, the other party must provide the reason for termination in writing.
Read when a probationary clause is valid on the page about probationary periods in the hospitality industry.
Notice period
Are you planning to resign? You must take account of the applicable notice period, the agreed end date and the way in which the contract may be terminated.
For a permanent employment contract, employees generally have a statutory notice period of one month, unless a different period has been validly agreed. A fixed-term contract can only be terminated early if this possibility has been agreed in writing.
A shorter notice period may apply to on-call employees with a zero-hours contract, in line with the statutory call-up notice period.
Find out which period applies to your situation on the page about the notice period under the Dutch Hospitality CLA.
Interns, BBL students and young employees
An intern and a BBL student do not automatically have the same employment status.
A BOL intern primarily follows an educational programme and completes an internship to gain practical experience. There is usually no regular employment contract.
A BBL student combines work and study and generally has an employment contract.
Under the Dutch Hospitality CLA, BOL interns may be entitled to an internship allowance. A BBL student receives wages and is covered by the applicable wage rules for students.
The actual circumstances are decisive. If an intern mainly performs regular productive work and receives little supervision or training, there may be grounds to question whether the arrangement is, in practice, an employment contract.
Read the conditions and applicable amounts on the page about internship allowances in the hospitality industry.
How can you check whether your employer applies the Dutch Hospitality CLA correctly?
Regularly check whether your contract, work schedule and payslip comply with the collective labour agreement. Pay particular attention to:
the correct job title and job category;
your status as a skilled or non-skilled employee;
the correct gross hourly wage;
the number of paid hours;
additional hours, overtime and time off in lieu;
holiday accrual and holiday allowance;
public holiday compensation;
deductions and wage corrections;
agreements on probationary periods and termination.
Keep copies of your employment contract, payslips, work schedules and time records. These documents are important if you later need to prove how many hours you worked or what salary was agreed.
What should you do if you find an error?
First ask your employer or payroll department for a written explanation and calculation. Be specific about:
which CLA provision you believe applies;
the period concerned;
which hours or amounts are missing;
which correction you expect.
If you cannot resolve the matter together, you can ask De Horecabond, CNV, the Dutch Legal Aid Desk or an employment law specialist for advice. The Netherlands Labour Authority may also become involved in suspected violations of minimum wage or working time rules.
Frequently asked questions about the Dutch Hospitality CLA
1. What is the current Dutch Hospitality CLA?
The current Dutch Hospitality CLA is the collective labour agreement for 2025-2026. It applies from 1 January 2025 up to and including 31 December 2026 and contains employment conditions for employers and employees who fall within its scope.
2. Does the Dutch Hospitality CLA apply to every hotel and restaurant?
No, not automatically. Whether the collective labour agreement applies depends on the company’s activities, the scope of the CLA and any valid exemption or other applicable sectoral collective labour agreement. Check your employment contract and ask your employer for clarification.
3. Is the Dutch Hospitality CLA mandatory?
If your employer and employment relationship fall within the scope of a mandatory collective labour agreement, the employer must comply with it. The employer cannot simply choose not to apply the CLA.
4. How many hours is full-time under the Dutch Hospitality CLA?
The standard working time for a full-time employee is 1,976 hours per twelve-month reference period. This is equivalent to an average of 38 hours per week.
5. What is the minimum wage in the hospitality industry?
From 1 July 2026, the statutory minimum hourly wage for employees aged 21 and over is €14.99 gross. Lower statutory youth minimum wages apply to younger employees. Depending on your position, age and skilled-employee status, the Dutch Hospitality CLA may prescribe a higher minimum wage.
6. Does every employee receive an annual salary increase?
No. There is no general statutory right to an automatic annual salary increase. However, the collective labour agreement includes general wage adjustments and performance-based pay under certain conditions. The applicable increase depends on the effective date, job category and individual circumstances.
7. Are you entitled to an evening or weekend allowance?
The Dutch Hospitality CLA does not provide a general allowance for all evening or weekend hours. Additional arrangements may apply to specific night shifts, public holidays or company schemes.
8. How is overtime compensated?
Under the collective labour agreement, overtime is generally compensated with paid time off. If compensation is not granted within the applicable period, the hours must be paid. The standard CLA does not provide a general overtime premium of 50% or 100%.
9. How much holiday entitlement do hospitality employees receive?
You accrue holiday hours over the hours for which you are entitled to wages. The collective labour agreement provides for both statutory and additional holiday accrual. The exact amount depends on your working hours.
10. How much pay do you receive during sickness?
The amount of continued wage payment depends on the duration and cause of the sickness and on compliance with reintegration obligations. The Dutch Hospitality CLA supplements the main statutory rules.
11. Can your employer deviate from the Dutch Hospitality CLA?
This is only permitted where the collective labour agreement or the law allows it. More favourable arrangements are generally permitted. Deviating to the employee’s disadvantage is not allowed where a mandatory minimum provision applies.
12. Where can you find the official Dutch Hospitality CLA?
The official collective labour agreement and the corresponding wage tables are published by organisations including Royal Hospitality Netherlands. When checking wage amounts, always make sure you are using the table that applies on the relevant date.
Summary
The Dutch Hospitality CLA 2025-2026 regulates the main employment conditions for a large proportion of employees working in hotels, restaurants, cafés and other hospitality businesses. It includes agreements on minimum wages, job categories, working hours, overtime, holidays, sickness, leave and employment contracts.
Which provision applies to you depends on your position, age, contract, hours worked and skilled-employee status. You should therefore check not only the statutory minimum wage, but also the applicable CLA wage table, your job classification and your individual agreements.
Use the detailed pages on Hotelprofessionals to check your pay, working hours and rights by subject.
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