A woman whose husband died with seven weeks of paid holiday outstanding has won the right to have the days off paid to her in cash.

The woman had argued the holiday is part of her husband’s unpaid salary and so should form part of her inheritance.
A court in Leeuwarden on Thursday ruled in her favour, saying the holidays should be paid out because it was irrelevant why the man’s employment contract had ended.
Normal contract
‘The Dutch don’t often think about holiday entitlements when someone dies. Now it is clear that employers should pay them out in cash,’ lawyer Agnes van Dalen told the Telegraaf.
The small business association MKB Nederland said it believes the law should now be changed. ‘In a normal employment contract, holidays cannot be replaced by cash either,’ a spokesman said.
The organisation said a court in Assen had earlier rejected a similar claim and that clarity is now needed.