Create Your English Fixed-Term Contract Under Dutch Law

Make your own Fixed-term contract

In collaboration with Sdu
The publisher of Dutch law books

What you need to know about a fixed-term contract

A fixed-term contract can help you to be a better employer. This binding fixed-term contract determines what your employee can expect of you and what you expect of him. With the correct information, a written and signed fixed-term contract is the best way to build a mutually beneficial employer-employee relationship.

Learn more about using our free model fixed-term contract, what to include, and how to protect yourself and your business interests in this handy guide for employers.

Notice: this is a Fixed-term Contract in English but governed by Dutch law. If you are looking for employment contract in Dutch, go to arbeidscontracten.

Table of contents

What is a fixed-term contract?
Do I need a fixed-term contract?
What does a fixed-term contract cover?
How do I make a fixed-term contract with Rocket Lawyer?
What do I need to know before making a fixed-term contract?
What must I do after I've made a fixed-term contract?
FAQ about fixed-term contracts from Rocket Lawyer

1. What is a fixed-term contract?

A fixed-term contract is designed to cover a specific period of time. Unlike a permanent contracts, a fixed-term contract has an end point upon which the employment relationship automatically ends. Some examples in which a fixed-term contract will be suitable are:

seasonal work
project work
maternity cover

2. Do I need a fixed-term contract?

Many employers initially offer a new employee a fixed-term contract. Its main characteristic is that you have agreed with your employee in advance that his employment will end at a certain time. This could be because the end date of the contract has been reached or because a project for which you have entered into the contract has ended.

3. What does a fixed-term contract cover?

This fixed-term contract covers:

the agreed hours and days of work
the start and end date of the contract
terms relating to holidays
the duties of the role
pay and benefits
place of work
all other relevant employment conditions
arrangements for ending employment
information required by law

4. How do I make a fixed-term contract with Rocket Lawyer?

It's easy to create a free fixed-term contract online. Answer a few questions and we will put together your document for you. The whole process can take less than 10 minutes.

Rocket Lawyer's fixed-term contract generator will guide you through drawing up your tailor-made employment contract. After you start with the document, we automatically generate the legal language required for your fixed-term contract based on how you answer the interview questions. If you don't have all the information you need, you can skip questions and save your document for later.

You can access your fixed-term contract anytime, anywhere, on any device. As a Premium member of Rocket Lawyer you can copy or edit your contract. You can also download it in PDF or Word format and print it at any time.

5. What do I need to know before making a fixed-term contract?

You don't need to know how to create a fixed-term contract yourself to use Rocket Lawyer's models. However, it helps to think about certain choices in advance and to have the following information at hand:

does a collective labor agreement apply to your industry and if so, which one?
when does the fixed-term contract end?
do you have a clear description of the position or duties?
do you give your employee a probationary period and if so, for how long?
do you want to give your employee more than the legal minimum of 20 vacation days on a full-time basis?
how much salary do you want to pay your employee?
do other employment conditions apply, such as a company car or mobile phone?
is your employee entitled to a travel or other allowance?
do you offer your employee a pension scheme and if so, which one?
what are the personal data of your employee?

6. What must I do after I've made a fixed-term contract?

After you have drawn up your fixed-term contract, there are several more steps you can take to finalize the document:

Make it legal
Every drafted fixed-term contract includes a Make it legal checklist of actions you need to take to finalize your document. For example, in the case of a fixed-term contract, you must ensure that the contract has both signatures and that your employee has a copy of the contract.

Online signature
With the online signature of Rocket Lawyer you choose to easily sign your fixed-term contract online and have the contract sent to your employee for his online signature.

Ask a Lawyer
If you have any questions about your drafted fixed-term contract or if you have doubts about a particular clause, for example, ask a lawyer to check your fixed-term contract with Rocket Lawyer's Ask a Lawyer service. You will always receive a personal answer from the lawyer. Most questions are answered within 4 business hours. As a Premium member you also have access to a free 30-minute consultation on any new legal matter. Premium members who need more assistance can save up to 33% on legal costs when hiring a lawyer from our network.

Create more employment-related documents
Get access to various legal documents prepared for companies and organizations that work with personnel, including:

7. FAQ about fixed-term contracts from Rocket Lawyer

If you have a question about your Rocket Lawyer fixed-term contract that is not answered on this page, please contact us: 070 378 9825. We are happy to help.

How can I edit my fixed-term contract?

To manually edit your fixed-term contract, all you need to do is log in to your Rocket Lawyer account, select the document you want to edit and then select edit. To save the original version, select the copy first and then edit the copied version.

Can I get a lawyer to check my fixed-term contract?

Yes, with Rocket Lawyer's Premium membership you can use our Ask a Lawyer service to have your drawn up fixed-term contract assessed by a lawyer specialized in employment law. You can also use this service to ask legal questions to a specialized lawyer.

Is an electronically signed fixed-term contract legally valid?

Yes, an electronically signed fixed-term contract is legally valid. For example, with Rocket Lawyer you can email your drafted contract to your prospective employee and he can then sign it using our online signature service.

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