{"id":21712,"date":"2026-08-27T11:25:26","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T09:25:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlieworks.eu\/leave-requests-in-the-netherlands-heres-how-to-handle-them\/"},"modified":"2026-08-27T11:27:58","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T09:27:58","slug":"leave-requests-in-the-netherlands-heres-how-to-handle-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charlieworks.eu\/en\/leave-requests-in-the-netherlands-heres-how-to-handle-them\/","title":{"rendered":"Requesting leave in the Netherlands: how to go about it"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Working in the Netherlands and taking leave<\/h2>

Do you work in the Netherlands and would you like to take a few days off? Then it is important to know exactly how requesting leave in the Netherlands works. The rules are straightforward, but they can sometimes differ depending on the contract and the situation. For migrant workers from Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, or Romania, it is particularly important to know what your rights are and how to arrange your days off correctly. <\/p>

In this article, you will read about how to request leave, which types of leave exist in the Netherlands, and what you should pay attention to if you work through an employment agency. This way, you will know exactly what to expect and avoid misunderstandings with your employer. <\/p>

How does requesting leave work in the Netherlands?<\/h2>

In the Netherlands, you always request leave from your employer or, if you work through an employment agency, from your contact person at the agency. Usually, you submit a request via email, an online planning system, or an app. It is important to request your leave on time, especially if you want to take a longer period off. Two weeks in advance is a common guideline, but for holidays of several weeks, earlier is better. <\/p>

In principle, your employer may not simply refuse your leave. A request can only be rejected if there are compelling business reasons, such as busy production periods in logistics or horticulture. In that case, your employer must inform you within two weeks. If they fail to do so, your leave is automatically approved. <\/p>

The different types of leave in the Netherlands<\/h2>

There are several types of leave in the Netherlands that you, as an employee, may be entitled to. We have listed the most important ones here. <\/p>

Vacation leave<\/h3>

This is the most well-known type of leave: the days off you accrue by working. Legally, you are entitled to at least four times the number of hours you work per week. If you work 40 hours per week, you accrue at least 160 vacation hours per year, which is 20 days. Many employers provide additional non-statutory days, for example, through the collective labor agreement (CAO). <\/p>

Special leave<\/h3>

Special leave exists for events such as a wedding, funeral, or moving house. The exact rules are usually stated in your collective labor agreement (CAO) or employment contract. Always request this as soon as possible and clearly state why you want the time off. <\/p>

Care leave<\/h3>

Do you need to care for a sick family member? Then you can take short-term or long-term care leave. Short-term care leave is intended for acute situations, while long-term care leave is for longer periods of care. <\/p>

Emergency leave<\/h3>

In the event of unexpected occurrences, such as a burst water pipe at home or a family emergency, you are entitled to emergency leave. This lasts as long as necessary to resolve the situation, usually a few hours to a day. <\/p>

Parental leave and maternity leave<\/h3>

There are separate arrangements for young parents: pregnancy leave, maternity leave, birth leave for partners, and parental leave. These types of leave are established by law and apply to everyone working in the Netherlands. <\/p>

Vacation days as a temporary worker<\/h2>

If you work through an employment agency, the accrual of vacation days works slightly differently than with a permanent contract, but the legal right is the same. As a temporary worker, you also accrue at least four times your weekly working hours in vacation time per year. It therefore does not matter whether you have a temporary or permanent contract: you are entitled to the same basic amount of days off. <\/p>

The difference lies mainly in the method of payment. At many employment agencies, you receive a reservation for vacation days and vacation pay that you accrue per week or per month. You can take these hours as days off or have them paid out when you are not working for a period. At Charlie works, you always receive clear insight into this via your hours overview, so you know exactly how much vacation time you have available. <\/p>

Requesting leave through the employment agency<\/h2>

Requesting leave at an employment agency is usually done through your regular contact person or via an app. Notify them well in advance when you want to be off, so that the hiring company also has enough time to adjust the schedule. Are you returning to Poland, Hungary, or Romania for a family visit? Then preferably plan this weeks in advance. <\/p>

Make sure to always record agreements in writing, for example via email or app. This prevents confusion and gives you something to fall back on. <\/p>

Practical tips for requesting leave<\/h2>
  • Request leave as early as possible, especially for longer holidays.<\/li>
  • Record the request in writing, not just verbally.<\/li>
  • Regularly check how many vacation hours you have accrued.<\/li>
  • Check your collective labor agreement (CAO) or employment contract to see which additional rules apply.<\/li>
  • Are you in doubt? Contact your employment agency or supervisor. <\/li><\/ul>

    Getting started with your leave<\/h2>

    Taking leave is a normal part of working in the Netherlands. Whether you want to go home for a few days, visit family, or simply need a rest: if you request it on time and know the rules, it usually goes smoothly. Do you work at Charlie works? Then contact your contact person to schedule your leave. This way, you can be sure everything is properly arranged and you can enjoy your free time with peace of mind <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Working in the Netherlands and taking leave Do you work in the Netherlands and would you like to take a few days off? Then it is important to know exactly how requesting leave in the Netherlands works. The rules are straightforward, but they can sometimes differ depending on the contract and the situation. For migrant […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":21713,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3088,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21712","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-for-employers","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/charlieworks.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21712","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/charlieworks.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/charlieworks.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/charlieworks.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/charlieworks.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21712"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/charlieworks.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21712\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21730,"href":"https:\/\/charlieworks.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21712\/revisions\/21730"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/charlieworks.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21713"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/charlieworks.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21712"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/charlieworks.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21712"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/charlieworks.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21712"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}