WML

WML is the Dutch statutory minimum wage and holiday allowance law.

What it means in Dutch business

WML matters because payroll, working hours, age bands, holiday allowance and labour-cost planning must respect the statutory floor. For The Polder reader, the term is useful when it explains what must be checked in the Dutch file, who carries responsibility and how a public rule or signal reaches daily business decisions.

Why it matters

WML matters because payroll, working hours, age bands, holiday allowance and labour-cost planning must respect the statutory floor.

Where readers see it

  • minimum wage
  • holiday allowance
  • payroll checks
  • working hours
  • labour inspections

In practice

  • minimum wage
  • holiday allowance
  • payroll checks
  • working hours
  • labour inspections

What to check

  • Which contract, payroll record, roster or employee file uses WML.
  • Whether the written file matches how the work actually happened.
  • Which deadline, wage rule, sickness step or authority contact is involved.
  • Whether the employer can explain the decision without rebuilding the file later.

Common mistake

Minimum wage compliance is not only the hourly rate. Hours, allowances and payroll records must also make the result clear.

The Polder reading

The Polder reads WML through Human Resources: not as loose terminology, but as a way to connect minimum wage, holiday allowance, payroll checks to the decision a company, adviser or public authority has to defend.

Related terms

  • CAO
  • loonadministratie
  • arbeidsovereenkomst

Related Polder columns

Last updated by The Polder Dictionary on 2026-06-08T08:30:09+00:00.