Young workers in Dutch hospitality: how long can 13–17-year-olds work?

16- and 17-year-olds

• Per shift: max 9 hours.
• Per week: max 45 hours, and an average of 40 hours over 4 weeks.
• No work between 23:00 and 06:00.
• Rest: at least 12 consecutive hours per 24 hours, including 23:00–06:00.
• Weekly rest: at least 36 consecutive hours per 7 days.
• Breaks: working more than 4.5 hours requires at least 30 minutes, in blocks of at least 15 minutes.

In practice: a 17-year-old can't help close if you're open past 23:00.

15-year-olds

• School days: max 2 hours.
• Non-school days: max 8 hours.
• School weeks: max 12 hours.
• Holidays: max 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week.
• No work between 19:00 and 07:00, and only light, non-industrial work.

13- and 14-year-olds

Only light, non-industrial work, never between 19:00 and 07:00. Max 2 hours on school days, 7 hours on non-school days, 12 hours in a school week, and in holidays 7 hours a day and 35 hours a week.

Serving alcohol

Separate rules in the Dutch Alcohol Act govern who may serve alcohol and who must be present as a supervisor. Check those separately before putting young staff behind the bar. Always verify the current rules at government.nl.