In which cases is an employer allowed to dismiss an employee with a permanent employment contract? What does he have to take into account? And what rules apply to employees who intend to terminate their employment?
As an employer, you can only terminate a permanent employment contract provided that (1) there is a reasonable ground and (2) the employee’s suitable reassignment is not possible or not reasonable. A reasonable ground is deemed to exist in case of the following:
The employer can terminate the employment contract with the employee in different ways, such as:
If the employment contract lasted at least two years, in dismissal cases the employer – with some exceptions – must pay transitional compensation to the employee.
If the employer terminates the employment contract without reasonable ground, agreement of the employee, urgent reason or permission of UWV, within a period of two months the employee can request the court to annul the termination. As a consequence of the annulment the termination is considered never to have taken place. Then, the employment contract simply continues and the employee is entitled to salary he missed out on in the period between the termination and the annulment.
For the termination of the employment contract, employees do not need to request permission from UWV or submit a request for the contract to be dissolved to the subdistrict court; they can simply resign without giving reasons.
On termination of the employment contract a notice period must be observed, except for dismissal with immediate effect or termination during the trial period. In case of termination by the employer the statutory notice period depends on the length of employment, as shown in the table below. In the employment contract or collective agreement a different period of notice can be agreed upon.
| Length of employment | Notice period |
| Less than 5 years | 1 month |
| Between 5 and 10 years | 2 months |
| Between 10 and 15 years | 3 months |
| More than 15 years | 4 months |
In the event of termination by the employee a period of notice of 1 month shall apply, notwithstanding the length of employment, unless otherwise provided for in the employment contract or collective agreement.
Would you like to learn more about terminating an employment contract? Or do you have any other questions regarding your staff? We will gladly assist you, please contact Russell Advocaten:
Discrimination in the recruitment and hiring of new staff is not permitted. When do you, as an employer, discriminate during the application process, even unintentionally? And how can you prevent this, also if you use AI?
The government wants to improve the legal position of flex workers with a new law. What will it mean for employers and flex workers if the legislative proposal is adopted? What new rules will you need to take into account?
The statutory minimum hourly wage changes every six months. What are the new amounts as of 1 July 2025?
If a contract has ended, there may still be obligations you want your contract partner to fulfil, such as warranties or confidentiality. You can regulate this through survival clauses. What should you look out for when including such clauses?
A director under the articles of association is appointed by an appointment decision by an authorised body. What might be the consequences if this decision was not established in writing?
With the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration again enforcing the Deregulation of Assessment of Employment Relationships Act (DBA Act), these questions have become even more important. In a recent ruling on Uber drivers, the Supreme Court provided additional guidance on how to determine whether someone is a self-employed person.
