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Settlement agreement, transition allowance, dismissal

Employee reviewing a Dutch settlement agreement

Received a settlement agreement? Have it reviewed for free

Do not sign without advice — mistakes may cost you money or affect your right to Dutch unemployment benefits (WW). Ask our Dutch employment-law specialists for help.

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How can we help you?

First choose the situation that applies to you. You will then find the most important information about Dutch settlement agreements.

I am an employee

You have received a settlement agreement or face dismissal. Find the help and information relevant to your situation in the Netherlands.

I am an employer

You want to agree on ending an employment contract. View the information for employers under Dutch employment law.

Information about settlement agreements

What is a settlement agreement?

Learn what a settlement agreement is, which terms it contains and what you should check.

Unemployment benefits (WW) and UWV

Check whether your agreement protects your entitlement to Dutch unemployment benefits (WW) and how the notice period affects this.

Severance pay and statutory transition payment

Find out which compensation may be appropriate and when you may be entitled to the Dutch statutory transition payment.

Have your settlement agreement reviewed

Have the terms, compensation, termination date and implications for unemployment benefits reviewed by a specialist.

Negotiating a settlement agreement

Learn about making a counterproposal, negotiating better terms and assessing important clauses.

Cooling-off period and withdrawal

Learn when the statutory cooling-off period starts and how you may withdraw from a signed agreement.

Reasons and situations for dismissal

Read about restructuring, underperformance, workplace conflicts and fixed-term contracts.

Illness, burnout and pregnancy

Learn why a settlement agreement carries additional risks during illness, burnout or pregnancy.

Have your settlement agreement reviewed

A settlement agreement determines matters such as your termination date, entitlement to Dutch unemployment benefits and compensation. Do not sign before its terms have been legally reviewed.

Our employment-law specialists assess your agreement and explain clearly what is correct, what should be changed and where there may be room to negotiate.

What we review for you

  • Does the agreement protect your entitlement to Dutch unemployment benefits (WW)?
  • Are the termination date and notice period correct?
  • Is the proposed compensation appropriate?
  • Are garden leave, unused holidays and the final settlement properly arranged?
  • Can unfavourable clauses be amended?

The key information at a glance

What is a settlement agreement?

A settlement agreement, often abbreviated in Dutch as VSO, records the terms under which an employer and employee end employment by mutual consent.

Precise wording matters. An error may affect your compensation or entitlement to Dutch unemployment benefits. Have the entire agreement reviewed before signing.

Pay particular attention to these terms

  • Initiative for dismissal and wording that protects benefit entitlement
  • Termination date and statutory notice period
  • Severance pay and complete final settlement
  • Garden leave and non-compete clauses
  • Cooling-off period and reimbursement of legal costs
About the author

Mr. Edwin van Jaarsveld

Edwin van Jaarsveld has over 20 years of experience with dismissal cases and regularly publishes about them.

Edwin’s expertise can also be found on:

Do not sign before your agreement has been reviewed

An incorrect term may cost you money or affect your entitlement to Dutch unemployment benefits.

How we work

Send us your settlement agreement

Upload your agreement and tell us about any deadlines. The initial review is free and without obligation.

Receive a clear legal assessment

We review matters including your entitlement to Dutch unemployment benefits, termination date, compensation and important clauses. We then explain clearly what is correct and what could be improved.

We help you negotiate better terms

If changes are advisable, we can negotiate with your employer. We discuss the approach and any costs with you in advance.

Reviews

Professional advice

Rishico

Your dismissal specialists helped me very well with professional advice following a labor dispute I had with my employer. They clearly have experience with settlement agreements. I definitely needed their assistance to reach a good agreement with my employer. Thank you for the clear communication and all the help!

My thanks

Carla ten Bulte

My thanks to Mr. Geradts,

With great professionalism, decisiveness, speed, and effectiveness, I was able to conclude a good settlement agreement. If your first counteroffer hadn’t been so strong, I wouldn’t have been able to secure even half of it.
Not only because of the money, but certainly also to be able to close my employment history with dignity.
I wish every employee in such a situation could have such a skilled lawyer!

Good severance payment

Metternich

I want to sincerely thank you for the excellent help I received when my employer wanted to terminate my employment contract with a settlement agreement.
You advised me not to sign the agreement and, through negotiations, secured my unemployment benefits and severance payment.

Good advice

Louman

We are an employer in a cyclical industry. Sometimes there is plenty of work, other times too little.
Therefore, we regularly have to part ways with employees for “economic reasons.”
We use the services of vaststellingsovereenkomst.org for this. They know exactly how a dismissal request to the CWI or the subdistrict court should be prepared.

Even in cases where an employee underperforms or behaves inappropriately, we have had good experiences with the lawyers at vaststellingsovereenkomst.org.
They are always available to us with sound advice and have never disappointed us.

Difficult situation

Singh

A dismissal specialist helped me in a very difficult situation. I had been so foolish to sign a letter in an emotional state, resigning myself. Because of this, I lost my salary and wasn’t entitled to unemployment benefits. Vaststellingsovereenkomst.org managed to reverse this. They were able to prove that I signed under pressure and didn’t fully understand what I was doing.
In the end, I left with a good severance payment and now I have another job. Without the help of Vaststellingsovereenkomst.org, I would be in serious financial trouble right now.

Higher severance payment

Gast

I would like to sincerely thank you for the quick and professional assistance.
My employer unexpectedly presented a settlement agreement to terminate my employment contract, but thanks to your help, I received a higher severance payment and compensation for my vacation days.

Excellent assistance provided

Thijssen

Recently, you helped me with my dismissal case. I am very satisfied with the assistance provided. The lawyer was very involved and well-versed in dismissal law. He understood well that I didn’t want a long procedure but wanted the matter resolved quickly.
That solution came swiftly and to my full satisfaction. I didn’t even have to visit your office. Communication was handled by phone and email, so you were always accessible.
My rating: a solid 10.

Dismissed but still well helped

A. van den Berg

Because of a conflict at work that got seriously out of hand, I was dismissed immediately (summary dismissal). I had behaved badly during that conflict, so I could understand why my boss took such a harsh measure.
But I still had to fight the dismissal, because I had no job and no right to unemployment benefits. Fortunately, the dismissal specialist dared to take the risk and started a procedure against my employer on a No Cure No Pay basis. Without the possibility of No Cure No Pay, I wouldn’t have dared to do it myself.
In the end, after two procedures, the lawyer from vaststellingsovereenkomst.org succeeded in securing my right to unemployment benefits and even a severance payment.

Dismissal assistance

van Vliet-Houtman

I worked with great pleasure from the age of 18 at a flower exporter in Aalsmeer.
When I was 54, my employer applied for dismissal through the CWI for economic reasons. At that time, I engaged Mr. Edwin van Jaarsveld from Ontslagspecialist for dismissal assistance.
A dismissal permit could not be avoided because my employer was really in financial trouble. Since my employer offered only a very small severance payment, Mr. van Jaarsveld advised me to start proceedings at the subdistrict court.
That turned out to be successful. The court awarded a severance payment of €94,000.
Thanks to the dedication and excellent legal knowledge of vaststellingsovereenkomst.org, I achieved this great result. Kudos!

Very pleasant experience

Rachel Waki

We are an international company based in Amsterdam. We have engaged Vaststellingsovereenkomst.org as our regular legal counsel and legal assistance for business matters. They successfully concluded our first legal case immediately.
I have found the collaboration with the lawyers at Vaststellingsovereenkomst.org to be very pleasant. We complement each other well regarding key issues and evidence.
Rarely have I experienced such excellent legal service and attention. I would definitely recommend Vaststellingsovereenkomst.org in every respect; their rates are also very reasonable!

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