If you often have to start earlier, those extra minutes quickly add up.
Is that collegial?
Discussing the working day, opening the store or starting the coffee machine in the restaurant: there are several reasons why it is useful to be there earlier. Many employees respond to this, because that’s just how collegial. But can an employer demand it? That’s another story.
Boss has to pay out
Legally, an employer is not allowed to ask employees to start earlier. The same goes for overtime. If your boss wants you to be present earlier or stay longer, then you have to pay for that too. Well, the sun rises for nothing.
Arrive 10 minutes before work
In the past, there have been several lawsuits in which the employee was proven right. In 2020, a Limburg company fired a woman because she was not always present ten minutes before work. The woman went to court and was proved right.
“If the company believes that the presence of staff ten minutes before the start of work is essential, this should also be reflected in paying the employees for that time,” the judge said. “It concerns regular working hours.”
Overtime doesn’t have to be free
Employees of a supermarket in South Holland also filed and won a lawsuit in 2020. For safety reasons, they were only allowed to leave the building together after closing time. Although this concerned waiting time instead of working time, the subdistrict court also ruled in this case that the staff was entitled to wages.