Fa'ate'aina i le taimi o le nofovaavaaia: o le a se mea e tatau ona e siakiina o se pule?

Dismissing an employee during the probation period in the Netherlands requires no permission from the UWV, no court order and no notice period, but it stands or falls with two things: a probation clause that satisfies article 7:652 of the Dutch Civil Code (BW), and a reason that has nothing to do with a protected characteristic. If the clause is void, the termination is unlawful and the employee can claim annulment or compensation. This article looks at the position from the side of the employer; the employee side is set out in our article on being ua fa'ate'aina i le taimi o lau vaitaimi fa'ata'ita'i.

When is a probation clause valid?

Everything else depends on this. A proeftijd (probation period) exists only if it has been validly agreed, and Dutch law leaves no room to repair a defective clause afterwards. Article 7:652 BW imposes four requirements, and failing any of them makes the clause void in its entirety rather than reducing it to the lawful maximum.

E tatau ona malilie i le fuaiupu i le tusitusiga, pe i totonu o le konekarate faigaluega pe i totonu o se maliega faigaluega faʻatasi e talafeagai, ma e tatau ona i ai pe a amata le galuega. E tatau ona tutusa le umi mo le pule ma le tagata faigaluega. E tatau ona usitaʻia le maualuga faʻaletulafono mo le ituaiga o konekarate. Ma e le mafai ona aliali mai i se konekarate faʻaopoopo ma le pule lava e tasi, poʻo se pule e sui ai, seʻi vagana ua manaʻomia e le tulaga fou ni tomai poʻo ni tiutetauave eseese mai le tulaga muamua.

How long may the probation period be?

E mafai e se maliega fa'atasi ona fa'alauteleina le maualuga o le masina e tasi i le lua masina, ae na'o le taimi lava e ta'ua ai i le maliega fa'atasi ma e fa'atatau moni lava i lau fa'alapotopotoga. E leai se isi mea e mafai ona faia. O se fuaiupu e umi tele mo le aso e tasi, pe tu'uina atu i le pule se vaitaimi umi atu nai lo le tagata faigaluega, e le aoga, ma e alu fa'atasi ai ma lea le faiga fa'apitoa atoa: o le fa'amutaina e tatau ona fa'amalieina tulafono masani, lea e le mafai ona fa'amalieina.

O le tulafono o le konekarate sosoo e sili atu ona maua ai le tele o faʻalapotopotoga nai lo se isi lava. O se fuaiupu fou o le faʻataʻitaʻiga i se konekarate lona lua mo le galuega lava e tasi e le aoga. E faʻapea foʻi se fuaiupu i le konekarate muamua a se kamupani e pulea se galuega, e faʻatatau i tagata faigaluega na siitia faʻatasi ma ia, ma se fuaiupu ua malilie i ai pe a siitia se tagata faigaluega a le ofisa i lau lava totogi e faia le galuega lava e tasi. O le tuusaunoaga mo se tulaga e matua ese lava e faitauina ma le faʻaeteete; o se siʻitia i totonu o le matāʻupu lava e tasi e seasea ona agavaa.

When and how may you terminate during probation?

A iai se fuaiupu aloaia, e faigofie lava le fa'amutaina. E amata loa ona aoga, e mafai ona tu'uina atu i so'o se aso i totonu o le vaitaimi fa'ata'ita'i e aofia ai le aso muamua ma le aso mulimuli, e le mana'omia se vaitaimi fa'aaliga, ma e le mana'omia se fa'atagaga a le UWV po'o se poloaiga mai le fa'amasinoga a le itumalo. E mafai fo'i ona tu'uina atu a'o le'i amata galue le tagata faigaluega, pe afai ua mae'a le konekarate ma ua amata ona fa'agaoioia le vaitaimi fa'ata'ita'i.

O fa'asā fa'aletulafono i le fa'amutaina o le galuega e le fa'alavelaveina. A'o le'i nofovaavaaia, e le mafai e se pule ona fa'amutaina lana galuega i le lua tausaga muamua o le ma'i, i le taimi o le maitaga ma le aso malolo mo tina failele, pe ona o se tagata faigaluega o lo'o i le fono a le aufaigaluega. O lo'o faia e le Tulafono Fa'asivile se tuusaunoaga manino mo le fa'amutaina o le galuega i le vaitaimi o le nofovaavaaia, o lea la, o le fa'amutaina i le taimi o le aso malolo mo ma'i e tusa ai ma le tulafono. E leai se tala a lena tuusaunoaga e uiga i le mafua'aga, ma o le mafua'aga o le mea lea e iai le fa'aaliga.

E lē fa'amagaloina le taimi. E muta le vaitaimi fa'ata'ita'i i le aso ua fa'atulagaina i le konekarate ma e le mafai ona fa'aopoopoina, e le ona o se ma'i, e le ona o se aso malolo, ma e le ona o se maliliega ma le tagata faigaluega. O se fa'amutaina ua fa'ailoa mai i le aso e tasi ua tuai, o se fa'amutaina lea i tua atu o le fa'ata'ita'iga, o lona uiga e le aoga ma e fa'aauau pea le konekarate. Afai ua faia se fa'ai'uga, ia faia se gaioiga i le aso lava lea.

O se fa'amutaina tu'ugutu e fa'amaonia e tusa ai ma le tulafono, ae o se manatu leaga. E tauave e le pule le avega o le fa'amaoniaina o le fa'amutaina na fa'ailoa atu i totonu o le vaitaimi fa'ata'ita'i, ma o se fa'aaliga tu'ugutu e tete'e mulimuli ane i ai le tagata faigaluega e faigata tele ona fa'amaonia. Fa'amaonia i le tusi i le aso lava lea, ta'u mai le aso e muta ai le galuega, ma fa'aaoga se metotia e maua ai se fa'amaoniga o le mauaina.

Should you use summary dismissal instead?

Afai e aliali mai ni amioga sese i le taimi o le nofovaavaaia, o nisi taimi e tuʻuina atu ai e le aufaigaluega se faʻateʻaina puʻupuʻu (ontslag op staande voet). E seasea lava ona i ai se mafuaʻaga e fai ai. O le faʻateʻaina puʻupuʻu e manaʻomia ai se mafuaʻaga faanatinati, se faʻaaliga vave ma se faʻamatalaga vave o le mafuaʻaga, ma afai e maua e le faʻamasinoga soʻo se tasi o i latou e manaʻo, e feagai le aufaigaluega ma se tagi mo le faʻateʻaina sese. O le faʻateʻaina o le nofovaavaaia e ausia ai le iʻuga lava e tasi e aunoa ma se tasi o na manaʻoga. Faaaoga le meafaigaluega faigofie.

Which reasons may you rely on?

O loʻo iai le vaitaimi faʻataʻitaʻi ina ia mafai ai e le pule ona iloilo pe fetaui lelei le tagata faigaluega ma le galuega: faʻatinoga, tomai, faʻatuatuaina, ma le auala e galue ai le tagata i le 'au. O le faʻamalologa e faʻavae i luga o lena iloiloga o le mea tonu lava lea e faʻaaogaina ai le meafaigaluega, ma e le tatau ona avea ma se faʻaletonu matuia. O se masalosaloga talafeagai e uiga i le talafeagai ua lava lea.

O le mea e lē faia e le vaitaimi o le nofovaavaaia o le taofia lea o le tulafono o le tutusa o le vaʻaiga. O se faʻateʻaina e mafua mai i feusuaiga, e aofia ai le maitaga, fanautama ma le tina failele; lanu poʻo le amataga o ituaiga; atunuʻu; lotu poʻo talitonuga; talitonuga faʻapolokiki; faʻasinomaga faʻafeusuaiga; tulaga faʻalemalo; faʻaletonu poʻo maʻi tumau; matua; poʻo le aofaʻi o itula faigaluega poʻo le natura faʻatulagaina o le konekarate, e le tusa ai ma le tulafono poʻo le a lava le uiga o le konekarate. O le eseesega e taua i le faʻatinoina o le va o le faʻateʻaina o se tagata faigaluega ua maʻi ma le faʻateʻaina o se tagata faigaluega ona o le maʻi poʻo le faʻaletonu. O le mea muamua e faʻatagaina; o le lona lua o le faʻailoga tagata.

O le faia o ni faiga sauā o se mailei ese. O se fa'amalologa e mulimuli mai i se fa'asea e uiga i faiga fa'ailoga tagata po'o faiga fa'asauā, se lipoti o tulaga faigaluega e le saogalemu, se lipoti o le fa'ailoaina o se fa'amatalaga, po'o se tagata faigaluega o lo'o finau malosi i se aia tatau fa'aletulafono, e le tusa ai ma le tulafono i luga o lena lava mafua'aga, e tusa lava pe sa'o le fa'avae o le ulua'i fa'asea pe leai.

Beyond these prohibitions sits the standard of good employer conduct in Article 7:611 BW. An employer that gave no feedback at all and then terminated on the last day for underperformance, that dismissed for facts it already knew when it made the offer, or that used the probation period to absorb a fall in workload rather than to assess the person, is vulnerable even where no protected ground is involved. The remedy in such cases is usually compensation rather than annulment, but it is a real cost.

Must you give the reason in writing?

Article 7:676 BW obliges the party that terminates to state the reasons in writing at the request of the other party. In practice that means the employer. The obligation is unqualified: there is no discretion to refuse, and a refusal, or an answer that is vague or that shifts over time, is treated by the courts as an indication that the real reason is one that could not be stated.

Ia saunia le tali a'o le'i fa'amutaina lau galuega nai lo le mae'a ai. O se fa'amatalaga pu'upu'u, moni ma sa'o o le fa'avae, e ogatusa ma le mea na talanoaina moni ma le tagata faigaluega, e fa'ai'uina ai le mataupu i le tele o mataupu. O se tali na tusia i ni vaiaso mulimuli ane, pe a a'afia se loia, e masani lava ona faitauina o se toe fa'atulagaga. Afai na tu'uina atu se fa'amatalaga i le taimi o le vaitaimi fa'ata'ita'i, fa'asino i ai ma ona aso.

What does a probation dismissal cost?

Ua tatau ona totogi le totogi o le fesuiaʻiga. Talu mai le 2020, o le aia tatau i se fesuiaʻiga e faʻaputu mai le aso muamua o le galuega, o lea e tulaʻi mai ai foʻi pe a faʻamutaina le pule i le taimi o le vaitaimi o le nofovaavaaia. E tutusa ma le tasi vaetolu o le totogi atoa faalemasina mo tausaga atoa taʻitasi o le auaunaga, e fuafua faʻatatau mo le vaega o totoe, lea a maeʻa ni nai vaiaso o se aofaʻiga laʻititi ae o se aofaʻiga e tatau ona totogi. E le tatau ona totogi pe a faʻamavae le tagata faigaluega, ma e le tatau ona totogi pe afai o le faʻamavae e mafua mai i se amioga matuia a le tagata faigaluega.

O le vaega o totoe o le totogi mulimuli e mulimuli i tulafono masani: totogi e oo atu i le aso mulimuli ma e aofia ai le aso mulimuli, totogi o itula malolo ua faaputuputu ma itula e lei faaaogaina, le alauni o aso malolo pro rata, ma soʻo se isi vaega ua faaputuputu. Afai e talosagaina e le tagata faigaluega se faamatalaga tusitusia o le galuega, o se getuigschrift, e tatau ona tuuina atu, ma e na o le iloiloga o le faatinoga a le tagata faigaluega e mafai ona aofia ai pe afai e talosagaina foi e le tagata faigaluega lena mea.

What if the employee is ill when the contract ends?

E tusa ai ma le tulafono le fa'amutaina o le galuega i le taimi o le nofovaavaaia a'o iai le tagata faigaluega i le malologa ma'i, ae e le fa'aumatia ai le ma'i mai lau faila. O le tiute e fa'aauau pea ona totogi totogi e muta i le konekarate faigaluega. Mai lena taimi e toe fo'i ai le tagata faigaluega i le penefiti ma'i mai le UWV e pei o se tagata e ta'ua o le vangnetter, o se tagata faigaluega e leai se pule i le taimi e ma'i ai.

That benefit is not necessarily neutral for the employer. Sickness benefit paid to former employees can be attributed to the employer through the differentiated contribution under the Wet financiering sociale verzekeringen, so a short employment that ends in a period of illness can produce a cost for years afterwards. Employers who bear their own risk under the Ziektewet carry the benefit directly. Before terminating during a period of sickness, ask your payroll adviser what the attribution will be.

Ia mātau fo‘i o le fa‘amutaina o le tagata faigaluega a‘o ma‘i o lo‘o fa‘aosofia ai le finauga o le ma‘i o le mafua‘aga lea. Afai e iai ni fa‘amatalaga e uiga i le talafeagai e muamua atu i le aso malolo ma‘i ma ua fa‘amaumauina, e lē manuia lea finauga. Afai e lē faia, e faigata ona taliina.

What are the alternatives to a probation dismissal?

Dismissal is not always the right instrument, and two alternatives are worth considering before you use it.

O le mea muamua o le tuʻuina atu lea o se konekarate puʻupuʻu e faʻamutaina lona taimi. E faʻamuta se konekarate e faʻamutaina lona taimi e tusa ai ma le tulafono i lona aso e muta ai e aunoa ma se faʻamalologa. Afai ua ono masina pe sili atu le umi o le konekarate, e tatau i le pule ona logoina le tagata faigaluega i le tusi e le itiiti ifo ma le tasi le masina aʻo leʻi oʻo i le aso e muta ai pe o le a faʻaauau pea ma, afai o lea, o a tuutuuga. O le misia o lena faʻasilasilaga e le faʻalauteleina ai le konekarate, ae e faʻamalosia ai le pule e totogi le taui e tutusa ma le tasi le masina o le totogi, e fua faʻatatau mo se tolopo puʻupuʻu. Tusi le aso faʻasilasilaga i le amataga o le konekarate nai lo le faʻaiʻuga.

O le lona lua o le fa'amutaina lea e ala i le maliliega fa'atasi i totonu o se vaststellingsovereenkomst (maliega o le fa'aleleiga). E tatau ona mafaufau i lenei mea pe afai e le o aoga le mafutaga ae e masalosalo le fuaiupu o le fa'ata'ita'iga, pe afai ua fa'aalia e le tagata faigaluega se fa'asea ma e sili atu le malolo mama nai lo se feeseesea'iga e uiga i le mafua'aga. Ia manatua o lo'o iai i le tagata faigaluega se vaitaimi fa'aletulafono e sefulufa aso e fa'aleaogaina ai le maliega e aunoa ma le tu'uina atu o mafua'aga, ma e tatau ona ta'ua lenei vaitaimi i le maliega lava ia; afai e leai, e tolu vaiaso.

What if the employee holds a residence permit?

Afai e umia e le tagata faigaluega se pemita nofomau e fesoʻotaʻi ma lau faʻalapotopotoga o se faʻatupeina, o le faʻateʻaina mai le nofovaavaaia e iai ni taunuuga e ese mai le tulafono o galuega. I le avea ai ma se faʻatupeina aloaia, o loʻo ia te oe se tiute e logoina le IND i suiga talafeagai, e aofia ai le faʻamutaina o le galuega, i totonu o le vaitaimi ua faʻatonuina e tulafono o femalagaaiga, ma o le le faia o lea mea e mafai ona aʻafia ai lou tulaga faʻatupeina aloaia. E masani ona maua e le tagata faigaluega se vaitaimi suʻesuʻe e suʻe ai se faʻatupeina fou aʻo leʻi faaui i tua le pemita.

E lua ni manatu aogā e mulimuli mai. Ta'u i le tagata faigaluega po'o le a le tulaga nai lo le tu'ua o i latou e su'esu'e, auā o se tagata faigaluega e muamua iloa taunuuga o femalagaa'iga mai le IND e sili atu ona ono tete'e i le fa'ate'aina. Ma siaki pe na ausia le tulaga o le totogi ma le fa'ailoa atu o tiute i le taimi atoa o le galuega, auā o le fa'ate'aina mai le nofovaavaaia e masani ona mafua ai ona toe iloilo le faila e itu uma e lua.

What happens if the employee challenges the dismissal?

The route is a petition to the kantonrechter (subdistrict court) under Article 7:681 BW. The court can annul the termination, in which case the employment contract revives and wages are owed for the intervening period, or it can award a fair compensation, a billijke vergoeding, instead. In a relationship of a few weeks, compensation is the more common outcome, but annulment of a termination that took place months earlier is an expensive result.

E noatia le tagata faigaluega i ni vaitaimi pupuu e fa'aumatia ai ana galuega: lua masina mai le fa'ai'uga o le galuega mo se talosaga i lalo o le mataupu 7:681, ma le tolu masina mo se tagi mo le totogi o le fesuia'iga. E le o ni vaitaimi fa'atapula'aina nei ma e leai se mea e taofia ai, o lea o se tagata faigaluega e fa'afeso'ota'i i ai pe a uma na vaitaimi ua i ai i se tulaga malosi i lena lava mataupu. Ae ui i lea, aua le manatu o le filemu i vaiaso muamua o le i'uga lea o le mataupu.

E lua itu e fa'amaonia ai le tele o mataupu. O le mea muamua o le aoga o le fuaiupu o le nofovaavaaia, lea e tatau ona mafai e le pule ona fa'aalia mai le konekarate ua sainia ma, pe a talafeagai ai, le maliega fa'atasi. O le mea lona lua o le mafua'aga. I mataupu fa'ailoga tagata, e fa'asoa le avega o fa'amaoniga: o le taimi lava e tu'uina atu ai e le tagata faigaluega ni mea moni e mafua ai le manatu o le fa'ailoga tagata, e masani lava o le taimi na fa'ate'aina ai e tusa ai ma se fa'amatalaga, e pa'u i le pule le fa'amaonia e leai se fa'ailoga tagata na i ai se sao. O se pule e iai ni fa'amatalaga fa'aonaponei o popolega i le fa'atinoga mai le taimi a'o le'i ausia e le fa'amatalaga lena avega; o se pule e leai se mea i faila e masani lava e le faia.

The employee may also complain to the College voor de Rechten van de Mens, the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights, which issues a reasoned opinion; the procedure costs the parties nothing. The opinion is not binding, but it is public and it is regularly relied on in subsequent proceedings, so a request from the Institute deserves a considered response rather than a formal one.

O le ā e tatau ona e siakiina pe afai o oe o se pule o galuega?

Most disputes after a probation dismissal turn on a defect that could have been spotted beforehand. Check these points before you give notice:

• The clause is in writing, equal for both parties, within the maximum of Article 7:652 BW for this contract type, and not in a follow-up contract for the same work.
• The termination falls inside the probation period, with a margin of a few days; the period cannot be extended by illness, holiday or agreement.
• You can state the suitability ground in one or two sentences, consistent with the feedback you gave and its dates.
• Nothing in the preceding weeks links the decision to a protected ground: a pregnancy announcement, sick leave, a request for leave or a complaint. If it does, your file must show that the concerns came first.
• You confirm the termination in writing on the same day, with the end date and proof of receipt.
• The transition payment and final settlement are calculated, and any IND notification for a sponsored employee is diarised.

O a mea e tatau ona e siakiina pe afai o oe o se tagata faigaluega?

If your employer ends your contract during probation, the same rules work in your favour. Our article on being ua fa'ate'aina i le taimi o lau vaitaimi fa'ata'ita'i sets out your position in more detail.

• Check whether the probation clause is valid under Article 7:652 BW; if it is void, so is the probation dismissal.
• Check whether the notice came inside the probation period.
• Ask for the reason in writing under Article 7:676 BW.
• Check whether the timing points to your illness, pregnancy or another protected ground.
• Note the deadlines: two months for a request to the subdistrict court under Article 7:681 BW, three months for the transition payment.

What can we do for you with a dismissal during probation?

O lo tatou loia fa'ate'aina advise employers and employees on probation clauses and on terminations during probation. Our wider guidance is in our article on pe fa'afefea ona fa'atulafonoina le fa'ate'aina o tagata faigaluega.

• We review your contract templates and the applicable collective agreement for valid probation clauses.
• We check the timing and the reason of an intended termination before notice is given.
• We draft the written confirmation and the statement of reasons under Article 7:676 BW.
• We calculate the transition payment and the final settlement.
• We draft a settlement agreement (vaststellingsovereenkomst) where a mutual termination is the better route.
• We act in proceedings before the subdistrict court under Article 7:681 BW, for employer or employee.

aotelega

• A probation dismissal needs no UWV permission, court order or notice period, but only works with a valid clause under Article 7:652 BW.
• A clause that is too long, unequal or in a follow-up contract is void in its entirety.
• The reason must relate to suitability; dismissal because of pregnancy, illness or another protected ground is unlawful.
• The transition payment is due from the first day of employment, and the reason must be given in writing on request.
• The employee has two months to challenge the termination and three months to claim the transition payment.

Soo fesili