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Understand · Payroll glossary

What is part-time work?

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Part-time work is a timetable shorter than full-time, with pay and rights in proportion; since 1 June 2026, it must be at least 1/10 of a full-time job. In Dutch: deeltijdse werknemer.

Definition of part-time work

Pay, holiday pay and the bonus are calculated in proportion to working time. Net pay, however, falls more slowly than gross: tax is progressive and the work bonus, calculated on the reference monthly wage, helps low wages.

Before 1 June 2026, the minimum length of part-time work was one third of full-time.

The key figure in 2026

1/10Minimum weekly length of part-time work since 1 June 2026 (1/3 before)

Source: Projet de loi portant des dispositions diverses relatives au travail, texte adopté en deuxième lecture (DOC 56 1324/008, 24 April 2026), Articles 5, 24, 25 and 27, Chamber of Representatives. Value in force on 1 October 2026.

Worked example

Switching to four-fifths on a salary of €3,000 gross: gross pay falls to €2,400 (−20%), net pay goes from €2,261.33 to €1,949.62, only 14% less.

In Dutch: deeltijdse werknemer

In a Dutch-language contract or letter from the employer or the National Employment Office (NEO), part-time work is called ‘deeltijds’ and a part-time worker ‘deeltijdse werknemer’; in French-language ones, ‘travail à temps partiel’. In English: part-time work.

Dutch term taken from: NSSO, CSC/ACV (secondary source).

Not to be confused with…

  • Time credit: time credit lets a private sector employee reduce or interrupt their work for a period, with an allowance from the NEO in some cases.
  • Reference monthly wage: your pay converted to full-time: it is used to calculate the work bonus when you work part-time.

Calculate it for your situation

What you really lose in net pay at four-fifths or half-time, with or without an allowance from the National Employment Office (NEO).

What if I switch to four-fifths?

Related terms

Sources

Parameters in force on 1 October 2026. Each parameter links to its source, the official one where it exists; a secondary source is flagged as such.