De Unie, in your interest

I'm on probation. Do I have a notice period?

No. If you are in your probationary period, you can cancel your contract within the probationary period whenever you want. If you choose this, your employment will end immediately. Remember to cancel your employment in writing, otherwise your cancellation will not be valid.

It also works the other way around: your employer may fire you during your probationary period. This will take effect immediately and your employer does not have to state a reason for this, unless you ask for it.

I have a temporary contract. Do I have a notice period?

The cancellation period for a temporary contract depends on your situation. If you have a fixed-term contract, in some cases you have a notice period. A temporary employment contract will (automatically) expire on the end date stated in your contract. You cannot therefore cancel your contract before that end date, unless it is stated in writing in your contract that you can terminate the employment contract prematurely. You can then check what the notice period is in your employment contract or in your collective labor agreement. Always check your contract to be sure.

Note: always check your contract or collective labor agreement carefully to see which agreements have been made. This way you will not be faced with unpleasant surprises.

I have a permanent contract. How long is my cancellation period?

In principle, you have a notice period of 1 month for an employment contract for an indefinite period. Your employer may only agree on a shorter term if this is stated in your collective labor agreement or if it is included in the personnel guide.

Your employer may agree on a longer notice period. This must be included in writing in your employment contract, collective labor agreement or internal company regulations. Legal rules do apply here. Your notice period may not exceed 6 months. If your notice period is longer than 1 month, the notice period of your employer must be twice as long. Agreements may also be made in your CLA for a longer notice period, but the same notice period may be agreed for employer and employee. So always first look carefully at the agreements made in your employment contract, collective labor agreement and personnel guide.