The statutory periods
| Length of service | Employer notice | Employee notice |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 years | 1 month | 1 month |
| 5 to 10 years | 2 months | 1 month |
| 10 to 15 years | 3 months | 1 month |
| 15 years and over | 4 months | 1 month |
The employee’s period stays at one month regardless of service. A contract can extend it, and where it does, the employer’s period becomes at least double the employee’s. A collective labour agreement can set different periods in either direction: when a collective agreement binds you covers when that applies.
The end-of-month rule
Notice takes effect from the end of a calendar month unless the contract or an applicable collective agreement says otherwise. Notice given on 3 March with a one-month period therefore ends the employment on 30 April rather than 3 April. Employers planning a specific end date work backwards from it, and giving notice a day late costs a full month.
The UWV deduction
Where dismissal runs through the employee insurance agency (UWV), the time the procedure took is deducted from the notice period afterwards — with a minimum of one month always remaining. A procedure of six weeks against a two-month notice period therefore leaves one month rather than two weeks. The deduction rewards employers who start the procedure promptly.
Probation
A probationary period (proeftijd) allows either party to end the employment immediately, and the rules are strict:
- Contracts shorter than six months: probation is unavailable.
- Contracts of six months up to two years: a maximum of one month.
- Contracts of two years or longer, and permanent contracts: a maximum of two months.
The period is agreed in writing, applies equally to both parties, and is the same length for each. A probationary clause that exceeds the maximum is void in its entirety rather than reduced to the permitted length — which means the employment carries zero probation at all, a costly drafting error.
Ending during probation still triggers a transition payment, since the entitlement runs from the first working day.
Where the periods sit in the process
Notice follows permission rather than replacing it: a permanent contract ends through the UWV, the court or a settlement agreement, and the notice period then determines the date. The dismissal routes set out which door applies, and the settlement agreement shows why observing the period matters even by mutual consent — it is what preserves the employee’s benefit entitlement.