Contracts & terms
Agreements when you start, renew a contract or plan a future departure.
To the articlesGuides within this theme
15 / 61Fixed-term contracts: expiry, renewal and early termination
Check the end date, advance notification, chain rule, illness and final payments for a fixed-term employment contract.
Read the guidePractical guideProbation: validity, duration and dismissal in the first weeks
Check whether your probationary period is valid, how long it may last and what dismissal during probation means for wages, illness and WW.
Read the guidePractical guideNon-compete and relationship clauses: changing jobs without surprises
Check validity, duration, scope, penalties and options for release or judicial review of non-compete and relationship clauses.
Read the guidePractical guideAgency work: contract phases, employment conditions and illness
Check your employer, the applicable cao and phase, wage comparisons and what an assignment ending or illness means.
Read the guidePractical guideCheck your employment contract before signing
A thorough review of pay, hours, probation, cao, notice and restrictive clauses, including documents incorporated by reference.
Read the guidePractical guideWhich cao applies? Coverage, pay and deviations
Determine the applicable collective agreement and version. Check scope, general binding effect, job grading and differing contractual terms.
Read the guidePractical guideChanging employment terms: what can your employer change unilaterally?
Check pay, hours, location or schemes in a change proposal: contract, collective agreement, variation clause, balancing interests and your response.
Read the guidePractical guideSuccessive contracts: when does temporary work become permanent?
Check contract numbers, total duration, breaks and successive employers, including cao exceptions and future flexible-work legislation.
Read the guidePractical guideMin-max contracts: guaranteed hours and availability
What do minimum and maximum hours mean? Check pay when there is no work, extra calls, illness, hours offers and availability.
Read the guidePractical guideZero-hours contracts: pay, calls and fixed hours
Your rights on a zero-hours contract: call notice, cancellation, minimum pay per call, illness and an offer of fixed working hours.
Read the guidePractical guideOn-call worker rights: schedules, pay and security
Understand on-call rights: identify your contract, check calls and substantiate missing payments or a claim for fixed hours.
Read the guidePractical guideFalse self-employment: does your work count as employment?
Assess the reality behind a freelance contract. Read about direction, entrepreneurship, evidence, tax enforcement and the introduction of the hourly-rate presumption.
Read the guidePractical guideTraining-cost clauses: when must you repay a course?
Check mandatory training, repayment terms, the reducing balance, cost calculation and deductions from final pay.
Read the guidePractical guideSecondary employment: a second job or business alongside your Dutch job
When can an employer restrict outside work? Check objective reasons, working time, conflicts of interest and written permission.
Read the guidePractical guideNon-solicitation clauses: customers, contacts and changing jobs
Assess customer definitions, social media, fixed-term contracts, exemptions and penalties under a Dutch non-solicitation clause.
Read the guideTools for this theme
See the statutory default and a month-end worked example, with separate guidance for different contractual arrangements.
Prioritise specific discussion points before signing an employment termination agreement.
For a fixed-term contract, check the written renewal notification and calculate an indicative proportionate compensation amount.
Record one unpaid wage amount and the maximum statutory increase, then prepare a written request.
Perspective on this theme
Pay transparency is a start, not a completed task
Editorial opinion: insight into pay differences must go together with verifiable job classification, accessible procedures and actual correction.
Read the argumentFlexibility also needs certainty about time
Editorial opinion: flexible contracts deserve predictable schedules and a realistic minimum income, including before the new flexible-work rules take effect.
Read the argumentA non-compete clause must protect a specific interest
Editorial opinion: restrict freedom of movement only for a demonstrable business interest, with suitable duration, clear scope and timely consideration.
Read the argumentSources and editorial notes
This overview links to our guides, opinion articles and tools. Each substantive piece lists the sources used for it.
- Publisher: RijksoverheidRijksoverheid: arbeidsovereenkomst en caorijksoverheid.nlhttps://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/arbeidsovereenkomst-en-cao
- Publisher: RechtspraakRechtspraak: ontslagproceduresrechtspraak.nlhttps://www.rechtspraak.nl/onderwerpen/ontslag/verzoekschriftprocedure-werknemer
- Publisher: Arboportaal · Ministerie van SZWArboportaal: arbeidsomstandighedenarboportaal.nlhttps://www.arboportaal.nl/
The source publications are in Dutch. All language editions cover Dutch law.