EMPLOYMENT
COLLECTIVE LABOUR AGREEMENT (CAO) • This is a written agreement covering working conditions and benefits drawn up by employers, employers’ organisations and employee organisations (such as unions). • A CAO are often more generous than statutory requirements. • It should state in your contract whether a CAO is applicable; you don’t have to be a member of a union to benefit. • If no CAO applies – all must be registered – you will need to negotiate your own terms and conditions. SOCIAL SECURITY • The Dutch social security system is one of the most comprehensive in Europe. There are three strands: 1. National Insurance administered by the social insurance bank (www.svb.nl), which includes old age pension (AOW) and child benefit (AKW).
• Specific conditions apply to each benefit. Check that your residence rights are not affected if you apply for benefits. • Official documents will need to be in good order. Consult the Ministry of Social Affairs and Welfare website (www.szw.nl) for more information. UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT (WW) • Your employment history will determine the amount and duration of payments. For the first two months you get 75 percent of your last earned salary, and thereafter 70 percent. • You must have worked 26 out of the previous 36 weeks before the first day of unemployment (or less for those not in regular employment). • You apply for benefit online at www.werk.nl or at a local office of UWV WERKbedrijf. • Everything at UWV is in Dutch, so try to find help when applying. VOLUNTARY WORK
• A volunteer is a vrijwilliger and there are many 2. Employee Insurance administered by UWV (www.uwv.nl), opportunities depending on your skills. including unemployment benefits, long-term disability • Expat advice centre ACCESS is always on the lookout for (WIA) and sickness (ZW). volunteers in its offices in Den Haag, Amsterdam, Utrecht or Leiden (www.access-nl.org). 3. Social Assistance administered by municipalities (www.rechtopbijstand.nl).
SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR INTERNATIONALS 2022 • THE NETHERLANDS • WWW.EXPATFAIR.NL
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