This week, the Netherlands Labour Authority suspended operations at a transport company based in The Hague for 2 months due to multiple violations of the Minimum Wage and Minimum Holiday Allowance Act (Wet minimumloon en minimumvakantiebijslag, WML). The company has also been fined 315,000 euros. An investigation revealed that payslips, evidence of payment and an overview of hours worked were missing for 10 employees.
Previously imposed fine
This is not the first time the transport company has broken the rules. During a previous investigation, inspectors from the Netherlands Labour Authority were also unable to determine whether 9 employees had received at least the minimum wage for the hours they had worked. That resulted in the company being fined 73,000 euros.
Routine inspection
At a later date, one of the company’s vehicles was checked during a routine inspection in 2025 and that revealed evidence of inadequate record-keeping. Once again, the information required to verify compliance with the WML for 10 employees was missing. The Netherlands Labour Authority is now imposing a second fine for this violation, which this time amounts to 315,000 euros.
Suspension
To prevent the company from continuing to break the law, the Netherlands Labour Authority is suspending the company’s operations for 2 months and it intends to make sure that the employer complies with the suspension, because ignoring it is a criminal offence.
Reporting helps!
The Netherlands Labour Authority frequently identifies violations relating to fair work. The Action Plan for the Verification Obligation is useful for checking whether someone is permitted to work in the Netherlands. The Netherlands Labour Authority is keen to emphasise the importance of reporting unfair, unsafe or unhealthy working conditions. Reports and tips are indispensable when it comes to tackling these kinds of abuses. Abuse can be reported via our website. Reports or tips can also be provided via Anonymous Crime Report on 0800 70 00, or by contacting the police on 0900 88 44. More information is also available at zelfinspectie.nl (Dutch).
