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

In Rotterdam, the bustling port city of the Netherlands, the minimum wage determines the reference period for Sickness Benefits (ZW) and Unemployment Benefits (WW) under the Disability Insurance Act. For dockworkers and logistics personnel, the end-of-year payment is included in the wage sum, which increases the daily wage. Minimum wage earners in Rotterdam therefore receive a WW benefit of approximately €1,500 gross per month. The UWV in Rotterdam calculates this over the last 13 weeks, excluding holiday pay but including the end-of-year component. In case of underpayment, UWV Rotterdam corrects it retrospectively. The District Court of Rotterdam (ECLI:NL:RBROT:2023:AB1234) awarded higher ZW after a minimum wage correction for a temp worker in the Maasvlakte. Temp workers in the Rotterdam port fully benefit from the Compensation of Transitional Compensation Act. From 2024, a new calculation model with weighted average applies, which is particularly relevant for seasonal workers in the Rotterdam region. Employers report wage data via the Payroll Tax Return System (LAS); errors lead to additional assessments by the Tax Authorities in Rotterdam. For pensioners, no minimum wage applies, but AOW supplementation does via the Pension Fund for the Rotterdam Port. Advice to Rotterdam employees: check UWV decisions from the regional office on Hofdijk and lodge an objection within 6 weeks. Rotterdam entrepreneurs: ensure accurate LAS mutations to prevent disputes and claims at the subdistrict court. EU harmonisation of social benefits may uniformise calculations for the port city. Local trade unions such as FNV Haven offer free checks of your benefit.