What is a Notice Period?
The notice period (opzegtermijn) is the legally required interval between the moment a party gives notice of termination and the actual end of a Dutch employment contract. It protects both sides: employees gain time to secure new work, and employers retain continuity during a handover. Dutch law sets statutory minimums that can be extended, but not reduced, by the individual contract or applicable CAO.
For companies handling a Dutch exit process, Octagon's HR consultancy services assist with notice calculation, settlement agreements, and UWV filings to ensure every termination is compliant.
How does a Notice Period work?
The statutory notice period for the employee is one calendar month. For the employer, it scales with tenure: one month below five years of service, two months between five and ten years, three months between ten and fifteen years, and four months beyond fifteen years. The contract or CAO may extend these minimums, provided the employee period is no longer than six months and the employer period is at least twice the employee period.
Notice is served against the last day of the calendar month unless otherwise agreed. UWV-approved dismissals allow the employer to deduct one month from the applicable notice period, subject to a one-month minimum. For worked examples, see our notice period calculation guide and the Dutch dismissal law guide.
Who does the Notice Period apply to?
Notice period rules apply to every Dutch employment contract, including indefinite (vast) and fixed-term contracts where early termination is contractually permitted, to payroll employees, and to employees engaged via an Employer of Record. They apply equally to foreign companies operating a Dutch payroll, to branches of multinationals, and to scale-ups hiring their first Dutch staff. The CAO often modifies the statutory baseline, so sectoral rules must be checked alongside the individual contract.
High-exposure industries include technology, where long employee notice periods are negotiated to protect IP handover, and executive search, where extended periods reflect senior responsibilities.
When does the Notice Period not apply?
The notice period does not apply during a validly agreed probation period (proeftijd), where either party can terminate with immediate effect, nor in the case of summary dismissal for urgent cause (ontslag op staande voet), which requires strict substantive and procedural grounds. It also does not apply to fixed-term contracts that end on the agreed end date without renewal, to statutory directors whose removal follows corporate governance rules, or when the parties agree on a specific end date in a settlement agreement. For a deeper treatment, see settlement agreement essentials.