KNM: werk en inkomen

Work is important in the Netherlands, and workers have clear rights. This is what the KNM exam expects you to know.

• Your contract (het contract). Your employer puts your hours, your pay and your work on paper. Read the contract before you sign, and ask about anything you don't understand.
• Everyone gets at least the minimum wage (het minimumloon) from age 21, also in the first weeks. Your payslip (de loonstrook) shows what you earn. The netto amount goes to your bank account.
• If you are ill… call your employer (de werkgever) yourself, on time, following the company rules. Your illness is private: it's enough to say that you are ill and for how long.
• Women and men are equal. They have the same right to work and the same pay for the same work. A person doesn't need permission from the spouse to work.
• No discrimination (discriminatie). An employer may not refuse you because of your religion, origin, age or pregnancy. At a job interview, "Are you pregnant?" is not allowed. You can report discrimination to a meldpunt discriminatie (antidiscriminatievoorziening) in your municipality.
• If you lose your job… ask the UWV for an uitkering (WW) and keep looking for work. No WW and no other money? The gemeente can help (bijstand).
• Tax (de belasting). Your employer pays the tax from your wage. Got a letter from the Belastingdienst? Open it, and ask for help if you don't understand it.
• Starting your own business? Register it with the Kamer van Koophandel (KvK).
• Problem at work? Talk to your boss first. Still a problem? Ask the union (de vakbond) or the Juridisch Loket.

Component · KNM, theme Werk en inkomen

• Task type · A short work situation with a named person, then "Wat is waar?", "Wat doet X het beste?" or "Mag dat?". Three answer options.
• Real exam · On the computer, 45 minutes, multiple choice, in simple Dutch (about A2).

Most common mistakes

1. "The boss decides everything." No: there is a minimum wage, and an employer may not treat you differently because of your religion, sex, pregnancy, origin or age.
2. Calling in sick at the wrong place. You call your employer yourself, not the huisarts or the UWV.
3. UWV or gemeente? After a job you go to the UWV. With no income at all, the gemeente can help.
4. Answering with rules from your home country. A woman doesn't need her husband's permission to work.