Fixed-term contracts: expiry, renewal and early termination

1. The agreed end date or event

A contract may cover six months, a year or a project. With a calendar date, you can usually immediately identify the end. For a project, the ending event must be sufficiently ascertainable. Wording allowing only the employer to decide at will that the work is finished needs extra scrutiny. Keep the assignment description and any changes too.

Ask beforehand for written confirmation of the end date being used and its basis. Planning a new project is not the same as renewal. Conversely, the label “fixed-term” does not establish that the contract legally remains temporary. If the chain rule has been exceeded, indefinite employment may already exist while the employer still describes a fixed-term agreement.

2. Written advance notification for six months or more

For a fixed-term contract of at least six months with a calendar end date, the employer generally must state in writing at least one month beforehand whether it will renew and, if so, on which terms. This is the aanzegplicht, or advance notification duty. In some circumstances, notification can already appear in the contract. Check the wording before concluding nothing was communicated.

Missing or late notification can entitle you to an advance notification payment of up to one month’s salary, proportionate to the delay. It does not automatically continue the contract. To enforce payment in court, the application generally must arrive within two months after the contract ends. Keep the date and content of every communication.

3. Examine the entire contract chain

The current main rule produces indefinite employment after more than three successive fixed-term contracts or when three years are exceeded. Gaps of no more than six months generally count within the chain. Successive employment can matter if you first worked through an agency and then directly for the same work. Comparing only the names of contracting parties is therefore insufficient.

Cao variations and statutory exceptions can change matters, for example for certain training arrangements, young employees working limited hours or particular replacement work. Make a table of starts, ends, hours, employers and gaps. The Wet meer zekerheid flexwerkers was adopted in July 2026, but the government states 1 January 2028 for the new security provisions. Do not apply future gap rules prematurely to today’s assessment.

4. Leaving or being dismissed before the end

Early notice is usually possible only if that right has been agreed in writing for both parties. Even then the employer must follow the normal dismissal rules: an early termination clause does not permit dismissal without a ground. You may need to observe a notice period and agreed termination date. Check before promising a new employer a start date.

Without an early termination clause, you can negotiate mutual termination or discuss another legal route. Simply stopping work may lead to a damages claim. A VSO before the original end date can also cause WW problems if the contract was not terminable early. Have that benefit risk calculated before signing, even if the employer calls the arrangement “standard”.

5. Renewal and working beyond the end

On renewal, record the period, hours and applicable conditions. A new salary offer does not automatically remove old restrictions. Recheck non-compete clauses, probation and training costs, for example. A second probationary period is generally prohibited if the work stays the same; a role requiring clearly different skills or responsibilities may be an exception.

Continuing work after the end with the employer’s agreement but without a new arrangement can create tacit renewal. Its duration and conditions require assessment of the previous contract and circumstances. Rotas, access passes and paid hours are relevant evidence, but a unilateral wish to keep working is insufficient. Request written confirmation as soon as you are scheduled beyond the end date. Also ask how you will be informed about permanent vacancies. Rijksoverheid identifies an information duty; for agency work it rests with the hirer. A vacancy notice is not a promise that you will obtain that role.

6. Illness during a fixed-term contract

The usual wage continuation and reintegration rules generally apply while the contract runs. The employer does not have to renew a valid fixed-term contract because you are ill. It can expire on the agreed date, after which sickness benefit may follow. This differs from giving early notice because of illness. Record the first sick day and end date separately.

With longer sickness absence, a reintegration report and notification of leaving employment while ill may be needed. Ask who handles these and which documents you receive. The maximum two-year sickness period does not restart when the contract ends. Do not agree to earlier termination for administrative convenience without assessing whether you surrender wages or benefit rights.

7. The final payment and what follows

Check final wages, outstanding leave, holiday allowance, supplements and any bonus. If non-renewal is at the employer’s initiative, a transition payment is often due, even after short service. An advance notification payment and transition payment are different entitlements with different legal bases and deadlines. Request a final statement that does not quietly offset one against the other.

Prepare for WW if available for work and potentially eligible. UWV states that you can apply from one week before the first day of unemployment and no later than a week afterwards. Keep contracts, notification and payslips before portal access ends. If ill, ask about the appropriate sickness scheme. If money is missing, do not wait until another payroll cycle to have your deadlines checked.

Practical checklist

• Put all contracts and gaps in one overview.
• Check the cao, calendar end date and early termination clause.
• Keep written advance notification and its receipt date.
• Have continued work or renewal confirmed in writing.
• Compare final payments, compensation and any benefit application.