Next month, there are more holidays coming up. If you work in hospitality, there's a good chance you'll need to work during these times, such as the upcoming Christmas holidays, but also on King's Day, Ascension Day, and Pentecost. Does this actually bring any extra benefits? It might. In the CLA, there are compensation arrangements for working during recognised holidays.
CLA hospitality
Recognised holidays are not extra paid days off (like an annual leave day, for example). In the CLA hospitality, there is an additional compensation if you actually work during the holidays. Initially, you receive compensation in the form of time off. Your employer is obliged to compensate this time off within the three months following the respective recognised holiday. If this is not achieved within this three-month period, then you are entitled to payment for the hours worked on a holiday with a 50% surcharge on your gross hourly salary.
If the holiday falls on your standard rostered day off or if the business is closed on the holiday, you will not receive compensation. If the holiday falls on your (standard) working day but you do not work because the business is closed, you do not accumulate negative hours and are therefore paid for the day off.
Recognised CLA hospitality holidays are: New Year's Day, Easter Sunday and Monday, King's Day (in 2025 on April 26), Ascension Day, Pentecost Sunday and Monday, and Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
NOTE: The holiday compensation only applies to skilled workers. Whether you are a skilled worker must be stated in your employment contract.
CLA catering
If you are covered by part A of the CLA, the following applies to you:
Do you work on a recognised holiday? Then you receive compensation based on the Irregular Hours Matrix applicable to you, increased by a 100% compensation. This compensation is given as much as possible in the form of time off. The period for this runs from 2 weeks before to 6 weeks after the month in which the holiday falls.
And what about the saved hours?
In the calculation of saved hours, recognised holidays are included. If a holiday falls on a day you normally work, you do not need to use your saved hours. This applies to holidays that fall during a holiday closure as well as those outside of it.
Recognised holidays according to the CLA catering part A are: New Year's Day, Easter Sunday and Monday, King's Day (in 2025 on April 26), May 5 every 5 years (first in 2025), Ascension Day, Pentecost Sunday and Monday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
If you are covered by part B, the same agreements as in the CLA hospitality apply to you.
Due to the nature of the industry (hospitality and catering), you may be scheduled to work during public holidays. If a public holiday falls on your usual workday and you would prefer to have the day off, it is best to request leave in advance. If more of your colleagues want the same day off, it may not be possible for everyone to get leave. In that case, you will have to work.
CLA recreation
Have you worked on a public holiday between 02:00 and 02:00 the following day? Then you are entitled to compensatory time off. However, this does not apply if you are an auxiliary worker. Additionally, your employer cannot schedule you, unless you are an auxiliary worker, on two recognised public holidays per calendar year! Do you have a full- or part-time contract and work on fixed days per week, with these fixed working days contractually agreed? Then you are entitled to a day off with pay for each recognised public holiday if the holiday falls on your fixed working day and your company is closed. If your fixed working days are not contractually agreed, then it will be assessed which days you have worked over the past six months.
Are you a flexitimer or an employee with an annual hours norm and are you scheduled on the same day for a continuous period of 6 months or longer? Then you are entitled to a day off with pay for each recognised public holiday if the holiday falls on that same day and the company or a department is closed.
Recognised public holidays according to the CLA recreation are: New Year's Day, first and second Easter Day, King's Day, 5 May in lustrum years, Ascension Day, first and second Whit Monday, first and second Christmas Day.
You may ask your employer to exchange Christian holidays for other holidays based on your religion. You then provide these dates to your employer in writing each year.
Required to work?
Due to the nature of the industry, you may be scheduled to work during public holidays. For two days a year, your employer is not allowed to schedule you (unless you are a recreation assistant). On other days, they can. If a public holiday falls on your usual workday and you prefer to have it off, it is best to request leave in advance. If more of your colleagues want the same day off, it may not be possible for everyone to get leave. In that case, you will have to work.