Legal rights during working time: Discover your options

Questioner

Elaboration time: I have a 38 hour job, my contract states that I have a working time (not paid) My working day runs until 6 pm. The store should be ready for use after 6 pm for the next day, which means that during the week you are not ready until around 6:19 - 6:40 pm And on busy days this increases to 19.05, in worst cases 19.35 Now I don't get time for time hours back for this. So on average I work 4 extra hours per week that I don't get paid for, and you are also expected to start 15 minutes earlier when you open. Is this legally allowed?

Lawyer

In Dutch law, two parties may make any agreement, as long as it is not prohibited in a legal article. The latter is not the case here. By signing your employment contract, you have accepted that you will continue working without compensation after the end of your working hours. If this applies to all employees (so no discrimination) and the collective labor agreement of your industry does not exclude this provision, then I am afraid that you have few legal options. I believe that your employer is not behaving as a good employer should in this case. I therefore advise you to take up this matter with the trade union of which you may be a member or with the works council or the staff representation of your company.