diensttijden

Diensttijden is a Dutch term referring to the periods during which an employee is on duty or performing official tasks as part of their job. It encompasses scheduled shifts such as day, evening, and night shifts, as well as on-call or standby periods. In practice, diensttijden determine staffing, payroll, and compliance with rest requirements, and they are used across many sectors, including policing, fire and emergency services, healthcare, education, and civil service.

The management and documentation of diensttijden are guided by sectoral collective labor agreements and national legislation such as the Arbeidstijdenwet (Working Hours Act). These rules define what counts as working time, the minimum rest periods, and the limits on consecutive working hours, as well as how on-call time is treated. Rostering and dienstregeling (duty rosters) are the tools used to organize diensttijden in a way that covers operations while safeguarding workers' well-being.

Practically, counting of diensttijden affects pay, benefits and eligibility for overtime or compensatory leave. Night shifts and long shifts may receive additional compensation or rest periods. In on-call situations, whether the time counts as working time depends on the level of obligation and actual duties performed during the period.

See also: Arbeidstijdenwet; dienstregeling; overwerk; roosters.