Minimum Wage and Impact on Sickness Benefits and Unemployment Benefits in Westland

In Westland, known for its greenhouse complexes and seasonal labour in horticulture, the minimum wage determines the reference period for Sickness Benefits (ZW) and Unemployment Benefits (WW) under the Disablement Insurance Act. The end-of-year payment, often crucial for glasshouse horticulture employees in places such as Naaldwijk and Monster, is included in the salary total and increases the daily wage. For minimum wage earners in the sector, this results in a WW benefit of approximately €1,500 gross per month. UWV calculates this over the last 13 weeks, excluding holiday allowance but including the end-of-year component. In cases of underpayment due to busy harvest periods, UWV corrects retrospectively. The District Court of The Hague (ECLI:NL:RBDHA:2023:AB1234), competent for Westland, awarded higher ZW after minimum wage correction for a flex worker from 's-Gravenzande. Flex workers in the region fully benefit from the Compensation of Transitional Compensation Act, especially with temporary contracts in flower and vegetable cultivation. From 2024, a new calculation model with weighted average applies, which better reflects seasonal fluctuations. Employers report salary data via the Payroll Tax Return System (LAS); errors in peak months lead to additional assessments by the West Tax Office. For pensioners in Westland, no minimum wage applies, but AOW top-up does under the Horticulture Collective Agreement. Advice to Westland employees: check UWV decisions and lodge an objection within 6 weeks at the UWV office in The Hague. Entrepreneurs in Poeldijk and Kwintsheul: ensure accurate LAS updates to prevent disputes and claims in the labour-intensive sector. Local trade unions such as FNV AgriPort offer free advice hours. EU harmonisation may uniform calculations for cross-border workers. (248 words)