Enforcement and penalties

The Labour Inspectorate checks whether employers and employees comply with the various laws and decrees with regard to labour protection and combating labour market fraud. If the Labour Inspectorate finds violations, it imposes sanctions.

The Labour Inspectorate can immediately impose a penalty for a violation of the Working Conditions Act, the Working Hours Act, the Foreign Nationals (Employment) Act and the Minimum Wage and Minimum Holiday Allowance Act. If employees do not comply with the regulations contained for them in the Working Conditions Act, they can also be imposed a penalty.

Penalty

The penalty report contains the violation(s) which you have committed, according to the inspector. If necessary the inspector will hear you explanation and include it in the report.

The Administrative Penalty department of the Labour Inspectorate evaluates the penalty report. If it ascertains that the violation is proven, the penalty is determined. You will subsequently receive a letter containing the intention to impose a penalty on you and a description of the violation. You can respond to this within two weeks, giving your point of view (response). Your response will be evaluated, which may lead to a change to the intention to impose a penalty or to a lower penalty. After this you will receive a so-called penalty ruling. This states whether or not you are being imposed a penalty, and if you are, the amount of this penalty.