Law and regulations: the minimum hourly wage in 2024

Why has a statutory minimum hourly wage been applicable since January 1?

Previously, the minimum wage was determined on the basis of a minimum daily, weekly or monthly wage. The legally established minimum wage therefore depended on the type of employment contract. Furthermore, the length of a full-time working week differed per employer. Some companies used 36 hours, others 40 hours. As a result, the minimum wage was previously unequal; if you worked 40 hours a week, the hourly wage was lower than if you worked 36 hours a week.

The statutory minimum wage ensures more transparency and equality. Employees are now paid proportionately for each hour. But it can also be a solution for employers. They no longer have to take different minimum wages into account for the administration.

What happens to existing employment contracts?

It may happen that an existing employment contract no longer meets the legal requirements. Of course, these contracts are not immediately invalid, but an employee must always receive the minimum wage. People who received the minimum wage based on a 38- or 40-hour working week have had a higher wage since January. This higher wage is also used as a basis for calculating accrued vacation days.

Age still plays a role

From January 1, 2024, people aged 21 and over are all entitled to the same minimum wage, regardless of the type of employment contract. An employer is obliged to pay them at least €13,27 per hour. However, a different minimum wage still applies to young people. Below you will find an overview of the minimum wage per age category:

Age	Minimum hourly wage
21+	€ 13,27
20	€ 10,62
19	€ 7,96
18	€ 6,64
17	€ 5,24
16	€ 4,58
15	€ 3,98

What is the salary per month?

Do you work for the minimum hourly wage and are you paid monthly? Then the monthly wage may vary, because the number of working days per month also differs. To calculate the monthly wage, multiply the hourly wage by the working hours. The working hours are the total number of hours that you should be paid. This also includes the hours that you are on holiday.

If you work a fixed number of hours per week, it is also possible to include a fixed monthly salary in the employment contract. This fixed monthly wage is calculated based on the average number of hours you work per month. It is essential that the number of working days is determined correctly, so that you are not underpaid.

Also look at the collective labor agreement

If you are covered by a collective labor agreement, agreements have often been made about the minimum wage. Is the minimum wage in your collective labor agreement higher than the statutory minimum hourly wage? Then your employer must comply with the minimum wage from the collective labor agreement. It is therefore possible that a higher minimum hourly wage applies to you than indicated above.