Contract of employment

A contract of employment is an agreement between an employee and an employer, containing working arrangements. You enter into a contract of employment for a fixed term (a temporary contract) or for an indefinite period (a permanent contract). A contract of employment can be agreed in writing or verbally.

Permanent employment

Uninterrupted temporary employment contracts will result in permanent employment after a 3-year period or in case of a 4th contract. Until 1 January 2012, you were allowed to temporarily employ your employees up to the age of 27 with a temporary employment contract for a longer period of time. The 3-year period was extended to 4 years and a 5th instead of a 4th employment contract resulted in permanent employment.

Providing employment data

As an employer, you are required to provide your employees with certain information either in writing or electronically. If you intend to provide the information electronically, your employee must give his or her express consent for you to do so. You can include the data in your employment contract but you may also provide the data separately.

The information includes the following:

• the name and place of residence of the employer and the employee;
• the location(s), at which the work is carried out;
• the employee's job and the nature of the work;
• the usual working hours;
• the amount of the salary and the payment periods;
• date when the employee joined the company;
• term of the contract (if for a definite period of time);
• (if applicable:) length of the trial period;
• holiday entitlement;
• period of notice;
• (if applicable:) pension;
• (if applicable:) non-competition clause;
• applicability of the Collective Labour Agreement (CAO).