Part-time hours surrendered on public holidays?

Questioner

I work 32 hours a week from Monday to Thursday. Most holidays fall on Monday and Thursday. Now I have received an email from my employer that I have to give up 9.6 hours in 2024 because I am a part-timer and have too many free hours. Our general terms of employment state: on public holidays the employee is exempted from performing work with retention of salary. Public holidays are then considered to be all Christian holidays including King's Day and Liberation Day once every five years. My question is: can 9.6 hours be deducted from my free days balance? I can read information everywhere about part-timers who get extra hours, but nowhere that they have to hand in hours. On Friday 15 December we are explained that we simply have to accept it and that the company acts in accordance with the law. Do you have information for me about the question of whether what the company is doing is justified?

Lawyer

Based on your terms and conditions, it appears that you are entitled to paid days off on the holidays mentioned. An attempt by your employer to deduct hours from your days off balance may therefore be in breach of the terms and conditions of employment. However, how this exactly works out in your situation can be complex and may depend on specific details that are not mentioned in your question. For example, does the status of your days off correspond to what is legally required, or do you possibly have more days off than the statutory minimum? These details can play a role in assessing the situation. I want to stress that I am only giving general advice and it is wise to consult a lawyer or legal expert if you believe your rights are being violated. It may be a good idea to show them the exact wording of your terms of employment and your employer's email. ---------------- Stichting Rechtswinkel.nl is a national organization with students and volunteers. The above advice is based on limited information and may be incomplete or even incorrect for your situation. Always consult a lawyer or attorney for your further steps. Read disclaimer: https://rechtswinkel.nl/disclaimer I would like to invite you to rate the above answer so that we can learn from your response.