Working in Tilburg (2026): agency contracts, logistics jobs and your rights when the work stops
Working in Tilburg often starts with an employment agency, a logistics job and housing arranged for you. This guide explains how agency contracts work and end, your pay and housing rights, and what to do when the work stops.
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Rules and figures from UWV, Work in NL, Rijksoverheid and the Civil Code · Checked 15 September 2026
Short answer
Working in Tilburg often means an agency contract: you sign with the employment agency, which pays your wages and sometimes arranges housing, while you work at another company. In the first 52 weeks the agency may use zero-hours or on-call contracts, and a temporary employment clause can end the work, and the pay, as soon as the client has none left. You still earn the same terms as the client’s own staff, and since July 2023 losing the job no longer ends your housing contract.
Key facts for 2026
- 10,650 vacancies were open on average in Midden-Brabant in the first half of 2025.
- 0.7% is all UWV expects jobs in Midden-Brabant to grow from 2024 to 2027, with agency work shrinking.
- 52 weeks is how long an agency may keep you on zero-hours or on-call terms before stricter rules apply.
- 26 weeks of work end the agency clause that stops your contract the moment the client drops you.
- €14.99 gross an hour is the lowest pay allowed from age 21 since 1 July 2026, agency work included.
- 25% of the gross minimum wage may still be deducted for certified housing until the planned change in 2028.
- 2 months after your contract ends is the deadline to ask the court to annul a dismissal.
This is general information about Dutch law, not legal advice for your situation. Rules change; figures are for 2026. No rights can be derived from this text.
Job market
Working in Tilburg: the Midden-Brabant job market in 2026
The Midden-Brabant labour market around Tilburg stays tight, but UWV expects barely any job growth and fewer agency jobs.
| Midden-Brabant figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Vacancies in Midden-Brabant, first half of 2025 (average) | 10,650 |
| Vacancies per short-term jobseeker | 3 |
| Growth in the number of jobs, 2024 to 2027 | 0.7% |
| People aged 15 to 75 in work, 2015 and 2024 | 67.6% and 74.4% |
| Registered jobseekers at UWV, June 2025 | 28,100 |
Source: UWV, Regio in Beeld 2025-2026, Midden-Brabant.
- Growing and shrinking. Jobs keep increasing in care and welfare, specialist business services and construction, while agency work and wholesale decline (UWV).
- Sponsored jobs. Entries on the IND register of recognised sponsors include the ones below (IND register); see our sponsorship jobs guide. Tilburg takes part in Holland Expat Center South, so sponsored knowledge workers living in Tilburg can register through its Eindhoven office (Holland Expat Center South); our IND and registration in Tilburg guide explains the route.
| Entry on the IND sponsor register | Chamber of Commerce number |
|---|---|
| Universiteit van Tilburg | 41095855 |
| Fontys Hogescholen | 41097718 |
| Elisabeth-TweeSteden Ziekenhuis | 41095510 |
| ID Logistics Tilburg B.V. | 62319574 |
Read 15 September 2026. The register gives no work locations.
Agency work
Agency contracts in Tilburg: how they work and how they end
An agency (uitzend) contract is a real employment contract, but a few special rules make it easier to end, especially in the first months.
| Rule | What it means for you | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who employs you | The agency: you sign with it, and it pays your wages | Work in NL |
| First 52 weeks | Zero-hours or on-call contracts allowed; paid for hours worked | Work in NL |
| After that | Six more contracts in three years | Work in NL |
| Temporary employment clause | Work and pay stop when the client has no more work; no notice period | Work in NL |
| Contract over six months | You must hear at least a month ahead whether it continues | Work in NL |
- Check the agency. It should be in the Chamber of Commerce register and certified; ask for a copy of your contract. From 2027 every agency will need approval to operate (Work in NL).
- The clause has a limit. The temporary employment clause loses its force once you have worked for the agency for more than 26 weeks, and the chain rule of article 7:668a applies to your agency contract from that point (Civil Code, article 7:691). After it, temporary contracts that last more than 36 months, or more than 3 in a row with gaps of at most six months, make the last one permanent (Civil Code, article 7:668a).
- Illness. With a temporary employment clause your contract can also end straight away if you fall ill; if you are not told on time that a contract of over six months will end, you receive compensation (Work in NL).
Housing
Housing through your employer in Tilburg
Many agency workers in the region live in housing their agency arranges, and the law now separates that home from the job.
- Two contracts. Since 1 July 2023 an agency that arranges housing for migrant workers must offer an employment contract and a separate rental contract; if you are dismissed or resign, your lease simply continues (Het Juridisch Loket).
- Deductions from pay. An employer may still deduct up to 25% of the gross minimum wage for housing, and only for a certified home; the minister aims to end that option on 1 July 2028 (Rijksoverheid).
- The Tilburg rules. Deposits, room permits and Huurteam Tilburg’s free advice are in our renting in Tilburg guide; the national picture for EU workers is in our guide for Polish workers.
Your pay
Pay and equal treatment for agency workers in Tilburg
An agency worker is entitled to at least the same pay and allowances as the client’s own employees in equal or equivalent jobs.
That equal treatment rule is article 8 of the Waadi (Waadi, article 8), and Work in NL adds that the agency must inform you about your terms before you start (Work in NL).
| Right | The minimum | Source | Our guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage, 21 and over, from 1 July 2026 | €14.99 gross an hour | Rijksoverheid | Minimum wage |
| Holiday allowance | At least 8% of your gross annual salary | Rijksoverheid | Holiday allowance |
| Sick pay | At least 70% of your wage; in year 1 at least the minimum wage | Rijksoverheid | Sick leave |
| Employer’s notice, permanent contract | From 1 month, rising with length of service to 4 months | Rijksoverheid | Notice period |
Underpaid? Raise it with your employer first; Work in NL says you can also report exploitation and underpayment to the Netherlands Labour Authority (Work in NL). See what to do when your employer does not pay and, for unpaid overtime on agency work, our agency contract and overtime guide.
Dismissal
When the work stops in Tilburg: deadlines and the court
When an agency contract or a job in Tilburg ends, check the reason first, because it decides which deadlines run.
- Find out how the contract ended A temporary employment clause, the end of a fixed term or a dismissal each have different rules; see what to do when you are dismissed.
- Apply for WW straight away If you have been out of work for more than a week when you apply, UWV will probably pay less or nothing for a while (UWV).
- Check your transition payment Usually 1/3 of a monthly salary per full year of service, up to €102,000 gross in 2026 (Rijksoverheid); an unpaid payment can be claimed in court within 3 months (Rijksoverheid).
- Keep the 2-month court deadline A request to annul a notice of dismissal, or for fair compensation, must be filed within 2 months after the contract ended (Civil Code 7:686a); our 2-month deadline guide explains it.
- On a sponsored permit If you are not to blame, you generally have 3 months to find a new recognised sponsor (IND); read what happens to your permit.
The court. Rechtbank Zeeland-West-Brabant receives visitors at its Tilburg location, Piusplein 50; its postal address is in Breda (Rechtspraak.nl). A settlement agreement (vaststellingsovereenkomst) is covered in our settlement agreement guide.
Legal help
Employment lawyer in Tilburg: when to call one
Call a lawyer when wages go missing, when an agency ends your work in a way that looks wrong, or before you sign anything that ends your job.
- Agency disputes: whether the clause still applied after 26 weeks, or whether your contract has become permanent, depends on your work history.
- Unpaid wages or overtime: a lawyer can claim what you are owed.
- Dismissal: the 2-month deadline is strict; see our wrongful termination guide.
- Cost: FindLawyer starts with a free 15-minute call, and on a low income you may qualify for subsidised legal aid.
Agency work ended or wages unpaid in Tilburg? Talk to an employment lawyer
Need help with this? We match you with an English-speaking Dutch employment lawyer. Free 15-minute matching call first. Lawyer fees are paid to the firm and explained before you proceed.
Keep reading
Related guides
More of our guides for working and living in Tilburg.
Moving from Poland
Agency rights and housing through your employer.
AgencyAgency contract ended or overtime unpaid
Your rights when shifts or contracts stop.
DismissalDismissed: what to do
Your first week, step by step.
PayMinimum wage
The 2026 hourly rates.
HousingRenting in Tilburg
Local rules, worker housing and deposits.
ArrivingIND and registration in Tilburg
Registering, your BSN and the IND.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is working in Tilburg like through an employment agency?
You sign your contract with the agency, not with the company where you work, and the agency pays you. In the first 52 weeks you may be on a zero-hours or on-call contract and only paid for hours worked. Your terms, such as pay, must match those of the client’s own employees in the same job, and from 2027 every agency needs approval.
Can my Tilburg agency end my contract without notice?
Yes, if your contract has a temporary employment clause: the work, and your pay, stop when the client says there is no more work, without a notice period, and even when you fall ill. That clause loses its force once you have worked for the agency for more than 26 weeks. On a contract of over six months you must be told a month before it ends.
Do I lose my room in Tilburg if my agency job ends?
Not on a housing contract that started from 1 July 2023: agencies must give migrant workers two separate contracts, so if the job ends, only the employment contract stops. The landlord must also inform you in a language you understand. Our renting in Tilburg guide explains the local housing rules.
How much must I be paid in Tilburg?
At least €14.99 gross an hour from age 21, since 1 July 2026, plus holiday allowance of at least 8%. As an agency worker you are entitled to at least the same pay and allowances as employees in equal or equivalent jobs at the company where you are placed. Report underpayment to the Netherlands Labour Authority if your employer will not fix it.
When does agency work in Tilburg become a permanent contract?
The general chain rule applies to agency contracts only after you have worked for more than 26 weeks. After that, a contract turns permanent once temporary contracts have lasted more than 36 months, or more than 3 have followed each other, with gaps of at most six months. Work in NL describes six more contracts in three years after the first year.
Is there a free employment lawyer consultation in Tilburg?
FindLawyer starts with a free 15-minute call and then matches you with an English-speaking Dutch employment lawyer, for unpaid wages, an agency contract that ended or a dismissal. The lawyer’s fees are explained before you proceed, and on a low income you may qualify for subsidised legal aid.
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Official sources, checked 15 September 2026
- UWV: Midden-Brabant region in figures 2025 (in Dutch)
- IND: public register of recognised sponsors, work
- Holland Expat Center South: participating municipalities
- Work in NL (Ministry of Social Affairs): employment agencies
- Work in NL: the employment agency agreement
- Wetten.nl: Dutch Civil Code, Book 7, articles 7:668a and 7:691 (in Dutch)
- Het Juridisch Loket: more certainty for migrant workers about housing and work (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: employer may no longer deduct rent from a migrant worker’s minimum wage, 10 September 2026 (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: minimum wage amounts 2026 (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: how much holiday allowance do I get? (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: how much pay do I get when I am ill? (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: my employer’s notice period (in Dutch)
- Wetten.nl: Placement of Personnel by Intermediaries Act (Waadi), article 8 (in Dutch)
- Work in NL: reporting unsafe or unfair work
- UWV: applying for unemployment benefit (WW) (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: how high is the transition payment? (in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid: am I entitled to a payment when I am dismissed? (in Dutch)
- Dutch Civil Code, Book 7, article 686a (in Dutch)
- IND: brochure on working as a highly skilled migrant (form 3072, PDF)
- Rechtspraak.nl: Rechtbank Zeeland-West-Brabant, Tilburg location (in Dutch)
Final notes and legal disclaimer
- This article provides general information and is not tailored to your personal circumstances.
- It does not cover all situations, exceptions, or recent legal changes.
- Reading this article does not create a lawyer-client relationship with findlawyer.nl or any associated entity.
- No guarantee is given that this information is complete, accurate, or up to date.
- No rights can be derived from this article.
- For decisions about working in Tilburg and employment law, or your specific situation, always consult a qualified professional.
FindLawyer is a lawyer-matching and case-preparation service, not a law firm. Legal advice comes from the partner lawyer.