Working

On this page, you can read everything you need to know about working for Flexible Human Services in the Netherlands. In this article, we will give you more information about: salary, contracts, laws, and safety in the workplace.

Contract and Salary

Flexible Human Services is an employment agency. Watch a video from EURES below about what an employment agency is, what it can mean for you, and what the benefits are of working for an employment agency. 

Contracts

Because we are an employment agency, we work with a temporary employment contract that may only be issued by employment agencies. This contract consists of phases and sometimes includes a temporary employment clause. More about what this entails below.

There are three phases:

Phase A: lasts a maximum of 52 weeks (1 year). Legally, this is a 0-hour on-call contract. This means that an employment agency does not have to pay you when there is no work. However, FHS offers you a work guarantee of 36 hours per week in a Phase A contract. This means that even if we cannot offer work for a while, and you cannot do anything about it, you will be paid for 36 hours per week, even in a Phase A contract. You can read more about this in our 7 guarantees!

Phase B: In phase B, you may receive a maximum of 6 contracts within 3 years. The contract includes an hour guarantee of 120 hours per period (4 weeks). FHS also offers a work guarantee of 36 hours per week here. This means that we also deviate positively here and you can also enjoy the benefits of the 7 guarantees of FHS!

Phase C: After completing Phase A and B, you can receive a phase C contract. This is a permanent contract. The phase C contract offers a contractual hour guarantee of 144 hours per 4 weeks (36 hours per week). Fewer contract hours can also be agreed upon depending on your wishes, for example, if you want to stay home with your (newborn) child for a day.

A unique aspect of FHS is that we can offer you a Phase C contract after just 1 year. We do this for employees who perform well and in whom we believe! We naturally want to retain and reward good employees. A Phase C contract gives you more security.

The contract contains even more things such as your trial period at the start of your work (the probationary period), working conditions, the notice period, or your pension. You and FHS must adhere to the agreements in the contact. You will always get to read your contact before you conclude it. It is in your own language and drawn up in understandable language. If you still have questions, we are happy to explain what something means.

Temporary employment clause

Phase A contracts often include a temporary employment clause. A temporary employment clause is a provision in the temporary employment contract that ensures that this agreement between the temporary employee and the employment agency ends prematurely if the assignment stops. If you work as a temporary employee with a Phase A contract with the 'temporary employment clause', your work can stop if the client where you work determines that the assignment stops. You will then only receive wages for the hours worked. You may work a maximum of 52 weeks with a phase A contract with a temporary employment clause. After that, you will receive a temporary contract, in which a number of hours are fixed and your contract can no longer be terminated based on 'end of assignment'.

Wage

The Dutch government determines the statutory minimum wage. This is an amount that you must receive at a minimum when you work. This minimum wage is set for people aged 21 or older. If you are under 21 years of age, you are entitled to the statutory minimum youth wage. Many employers have a collective labor agreement (CAO).
This is a collection of agreements that apply to employees who work in that industry/sector. It includes various matters such as working hours, allowances, and wages. If a CAO applies, you will receive the salary that has been agreed upon in it. That is always equal to or higher than the statutory minimum (youth) wage.

At Flexible Human Services you are guaranteed to always receive the FHS-guaranteed salary. Below is a table for comparison:

Payslip and payment

Your salary will be paid into your bank account every four weeks.

In phase A, we work with weekly advances.

In the Netherlands, it is mandatory to transfer the salary to a bank account in the name of the person for whom the salary is intended. Paying wages in cash is prohibited by law. This is to ensure that everyone receives the minimum wage and that employees are not underpaid. It is therefore important that you have a bank account that is in your own name.

Before you receive your salary, we will always send you your payslip. You will receive this via our application. Your payslip shows how much you have earned over the past week or 4 weeks. You can read your gross and net salary on your payslip, as well as the taxes and premiums that we withhold. This is, for example, your wage tax, also known as payroll tax. This is the income tax that you must pay to the Dutch government. You can find on your payslip how many hours you have worked and the period over which you are paid. Allowances for overtime and expense allowances are also shown on your payslip. You will also see here what we deduct from your salary, for example, for housing and your health insurance.

Working Hours Act

In the Netherlands, there is a law for everything related to working hours and hours, the Working Hours Act. This includes, for example, the obligation to pay for extra hours worked. And it stipulates that you may not work more than 12 hours a day and a maximum of 60 hours a week. Read more about the Working Hours Act here. You will find brochures in Dutch, Polish, German, and English. The rules regarding working hours, allowances, and break times within specific sectors are often included in the CAO.

Safe working environment

Safety in the work environment applies to many things; from not working too long to protective equipment such as safety glasses, but also not being bullied in the workplace falls under this. In the Netherlands, there are various laws, rules, and organizations that ensure that your safety in the workplace is guaranteed.

In the Netherlands, employers and employees must adhere to certain rules in order to work as healthily and safely as possible. These rules are described in the Working Conditions Act. Topics that are discussed in this law include: what to do if you work with hazardous substances, how to deal with heavy physical work, which protective equipment you should use in certain work situations, and how to properly set up your workplace.

Do you feel that your workplace is unsafe?

Always discuss this with the supervisor on the work floor or with your coordinator. If nothing changes after you have spoken with your coordinator and supervisor on the work floor, please contact the Social Guidance team of FHS.

The company where you work has specific safety rules regarding safe working. They will inform you about the rules on the work floor and provide you with the necessary Personal Protective Equipment (except for your work shoes, which you will receive from FHS). If you are not sure what the safety rules are or if you have any questions about them, you can ask your supervisor on the work floor. If you have concerns about safety on the work floor and you cannot discuss this with your supervisor on the work floor, please contact your coordinator. If you cannot go there either, you can contact the Social Guidance team. They will discuss your concerns with the safety coordinator of FHS.

Besides the employer, it is of course also important that you ensure a safe workplace yourself. Follow the safety instructions and wear protective equipment when necessary. You are required to report unsafe situations immediately to the supervisor on the work floor. If you are involved in an industrial accident or an unsafe situation, you must report this to your supervisor. If you don't understand something, or if something isn't safe in your opinion, discuss it with your supervisor.

It is important that you have the correct protective equipment to work in a healthy and safe manner. This equipment protects, for example, your head, eyes, ears, hands, and feet, or your lungs. It reduces the risk of (permanent) injury or illness. The company where you work will provide you with the protective equipment. You are responsible for the correct use and maintenance of the personal protective equipment. Your employer can explain how to do this.

FHS places a high priority on the safety and health of its employees. We are happy to help ensure that you can work safely.

Confidential counselor

Bullying and unwanted behavior can also create an unsafe workplace. Bullying or aggressive behavior at work can cause psychological problems or physical injury. As a result, you may not be able to do your job as well. Always report this to your supervisor. In many companies, there is someone present who can discuss this with you in confidence and help you think about a solution. FHS also has a confidential counselor who you can always call when such a situation occurs. This person is happy to listen to your story and will help find a solution.

Working and illness

Would you like to know what your rights and obligations are regarding work and pregnancy in the Netherlands? You can find this information on this page.

What happens if you get sick? What are your rights and obligations? You can find information about this on this page.

ABU
Flexible Human Services has been in possession of the ABU certificate since 2018. The ABU represents flexible employees and employment agencies in the Netherlands. The ABU has drawn up a Fair Recruitment Code (FRC) that stands for a transparent and fair recruitment process. We support this and are happy to inform you about the topics that are addressed in the FRC. Click here for an ABU video about working in the Netherlands.