Dutch employment law, explained in English
Dismissal, settlement agreements, severance and unpaid wages. Start with what has actually happened to you. If you decide you want a lawyer after reading, we can introduce you to a suitable independent one.
FindLawyer is not a law firm. We give practical initial guidance and prepare your case. Legal advice and representation come from the independent Dutch Bar-registered lawyer we introduce you to.
What has happened at work?
Two of these run on a legal clock. If you have been handed a settlement agreement, or you have already been dismissed, start with those. Every card opens a guide that explains the rule, the deadline where there is one, and when a lawyer is actually worth the cost.
On a deadline, or none of the above?
Tell us about the matter, receive an honest practical assessment, and if you proceed, we prepare the case and introduce a suitable independent lawyer.
If you have already signed something, or a date has been put on you, say so when you get in touch and bring the document. The first 15-minute matching call is free. If you go ahead with the Lawyer Matching Service, the FindLawyer fee is explained before you commit, and partner-lawyer fees are separate and paid directly to the law firm. See how FindLawyer works
Your rights as an employee in the Netherlands
If you work in the Netherlands on a Dutch employment contract, Dutch employment law protects you in the same way it protects a Dutch colleague. Your nationality and the language of your contract do not change that. These are the rights that matter most when a job goes wrong, each with the official source.
You cannot simply be dismissed
To dismiss you, your employer needs your agreement, permission from UWV or a decision by the kantonrechter. The main exceptions are a valid probation period and instant dismissal for an urgent reason. Source: Rijksoverheid, in Dutch.
2 months to challenge an instant dismissal
If you are dismissed on the spot, you have 2 months to ask the court to undo it. After that, the dismissal stands. Source: Het Juridisch Loket, in Dutch.
2 weeks to take back a settlement
After you sign a settlement agreement (vaststellingsovereenkomst), you have 2 weeks to withdraw from it. Read the end date and the severance clause before you sign. Source: Het Juridisch Loket, in Dutch.
A transition payment from your first day
When your employer ends your contract you are usually owed a transitievergoeding (transition payment): 1/3 of a monthly salary for each full year worked, capped at €102,000 in 2026, or one annual salary if that is higher. If it is not paid, you have 3 months to go to the kantonrechter. Sources: Rijksoverheid on the formula, Rijksoverheid on the 2026 maximum and Het Juridisch Loket on the deadline, all in Dutch.
Sick pay for up to 2 years
If you are ill, your employer keeps paying at least 70% of your salary for up to 2 years, and in the first year at least the minimum wage. Sources: Rijksoverheid on how long and on how much, in Dutch.
A permit tied to your job
On a highly skilled migrant permit, losing your job affects your right to stay as well as your income. Read how the search period works before you agree an end date. The 2026 salary criteria and sponsor rules are in our highly skilled migrant visa guide.
Checked 12 September 2026. General information about Dutch law, not legal advice for your situation.
The guides people open first
Employment pages by city
Dutch employment law is national, so the rules above apply wherever you work. These pages are a starting point if you would rather read about your own city first.
Three situations have their own page: dismissal on a highly skilled migrant permit in Amsterdam, dismissal by an international organisation or embassy in The Hague, and agency contracts and unpaid overtime in Rotterdam.
Employment law guides
Written for employees, in English. Filter by topic, or browse the full archive on the blog.
Dismissed? What to do first
The first steps after losing your job: deadlines, final pay, benefit and your permit.
DismissalThe 14-day reflection period
What the reflection period gives you, and the clauses that decide what a settlement is worth.
DismissalSettlement agreements: how much
What a vaststellingsovereenkomst actually is, and how much money you should expect.
DismissalThe 2-month deadline to challenge
What an expiry period is, why it differs from a limitation period, and which one applies.
DismissalInstant dismissal and investigations
What counts as urgent cause, and suspension versus dismissal.
DismissalRedundancy and severance pay
UWV or the Kantonrechter, and how the transitievergoeding is calculated.
DismissalWrongful termination
What counts as wrongful termination under Dutch law, and what damages follow.
PayYour employer is not paying you
How the statutory increase works, and how to work out what is actually owed.
PayNetherlands salary calculator
Gross to net for 2026, with holiday allowance and the 30% ruling.
PayMinimum wage 2026
The hourly rate from 1 January and 1 July, youth rates and what to do if underpaid.
PayAverage salary in the Netherlands
What people earn by age, sector, occupation and city, from CBS data.
Pay30% ruling checker
Six questions to see whether the expat scheme applies and what it is worth.
PayHoliday allowance
The 8% vakantiegeld: when it is paid, how it is taxed and what you are owed when you leave.
PaySick leave and reintegration
The Wet verbetering Poortwachter and the employer’s 104-week wage duty.
ContractsFive clauses to check before signing
Probation, notice, non-compete and the two others people miss.
ContractsProbation period
How long a trial period may last, when the clause is void and dismissal during it.
ContractsNotice period
One month for you, one to four months for your employer, and how the end date is set.
ContractsContract red flags and negotiation
How Dutch contracts are built, and what a CAO changes about yours.
ContractsNon-compete clauses
When one is valid, and the scope, duration and geography courts demand.
RightsEmployee rights in the Netherlands
Contract basics, working conditions, pay and time, in one place.
RightsMaternity leave
The 16 weeks of pregnancy and maternity leave, partner leave and the benefit from UWV.
RightsPolish workers: agency work and housing
Agency worker rights, housing through your employer, BRP or RNI, and where to complain.
RightsMoving from Italy
Registration, AIRE, the 30% ruling and your rights at work and as a tenant.
RightsMoving from Germany
Which cities pass the 150 km test, cross-border tax and your first weeks.
RightsMoving from Spain
Consular registration, BIG registration for nurses and your rights at work.
RightsRemote and cross-border work
Home-working allowances, and how a refusal to let you work elsewhere must be reasoned.
RightsFreelancing versus employment
The Wet DBA, and how classification is actually decided.
Before you get in touch
What does FindLawyer do?
FindLawyer gives practical initial guidance, organises your information and documents, prepares a structured case brief and connects you with a suitable independent lawyer. FindLawyer is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. The partner lawyer confirms their fees and provides all legal advice and representation.
What happens after I contact you?
We start with the free 15-minute matching call to understand your situation and give an honest practical assessment. If you decide to proceed, we organise your documents, prepare a structured case brief, and introduce you to a suitable independent lawyer who provides the legal advice and representation. We confirm the expected introduction timing before you proceed.
I already signed a settlement agreement. Is it too late?
Not necessarily. Dutch law gives you a reflection period (bedenktijd) of 14 days after signing to withdraw in writing, and you do not have to give a reason. If the agreement failed to mention that right, the period is three weeks instead. Check the signature date first, then get the document read before the clock runs out.
What does it cost?
The first 15-minute matching call is free and there is no obligation to continue. If you decide to use the Lawyer Matching Service, we explain the FindLawyer fee for your legal area before you commit to anything. Partner-lawyer fees are separate, set by the law firm, and paid directly to that firm.
Could subsidised legal aid cover this?
Possibly, and it is worth checking before you pay privately. Legal aid is means-tested on income and assets rather than nationality, and employment disputes are one of the areas it covers. You can check your eligibility here. Many people also hold legal expenses insurance through a home or liability policy without realising it.
How quickly will I be introduced to a lawyer?
After payment and once we have the documents we need, we prepare your case and make the introduction. We confirm the expected introduction timing before you proceed. If something is missing from the file, we tell you exactly what.
Do I actually need a lawyer for this?
Sometimes not, and we will say so on the call rather than sell you a match you do not need. A lawyer usually earns their fee where money or a deadline is at stake: a settlement agreement before you sign it, a dismissal you want to challenge, unpaid wages, or a non-compete standing between you and a new job.
Do you only work in certain cities?
Dutch employment law is national, and the same rules apply wherever you work in the Netherlands. We publish city pages as a reading starting point rather than as a statement about who is available where. Which lawyer fits your matter, and where they are based, is confirmed when we make the introduction.
Will the lawyer speak English?
Clear English communication is a fixed requirement in our matching check for English-speaking clients, not a preference. If we cannot find a suitable lawyer who meets it for your matter, we tell you that rather than making the introduction anyway.
More questions are answered on the full FAQ page.