Employment contracts can be for a limited or an indefinite period.
Permanent employment contract
The collective agreement states that you will in principle be employed for an indefinite period, usually after a probationary or trial period of 12 or 18 months. This almost always concerns activities of a structural nature. The employer may consider it necessary that you are not employed on a permanent basis, for organisational or business economic reasons. In that case, a fixed-term employment contract will be concluded with you instead.
Fixed-term employment contract
The Collective Agreement for Dutch Universities contains many provisions regarding the conclusion of fixed-term employment contracts. This almost always concerns work of a temporary nature. For example, a research project that can be completed in one or more years. It may also involve cases of peaks in business and sickness absence, such as:
- replacement of educational tasks if a member of the permanent academic staff is temporarily relieved of his or her tasks in connection with receiving a research grant, or
- replacement of an employee who is absent due to illness for a prolonged period.
- temporary deployment of additional staff in the event of a high workload
Temporary employment contracts always include the date on which the contract expires.
Professor, assistant professor, associate professor
You will join as a professor or as an assistant or associate professor. After demonstrating suitability for 18 months, you will be employed indefinitely if you continue in the same position.
Researchers or Postdocs
A maximum of three temporary employment contracts may be concluded with a researcher, subject to a maximum duration of 3 years. If it concerns a position that is temporarily financed externally or that involves co-financing, a maximum duration of 4 years applies.
For postdocs who are researchers 3 and 4, the maximum duration is in any case 4 years.
In addition to this option, the collective agreement also provides another option. For example, a one-off long-term contract can be concluded with a researcher which lasts longer than 3 or 4 years. This usually concerns a duration of 4 to 6 years. This employment contract can still be extended, but only once for a maximum duration of 3 months.
Lecturers
The collective agreement stipulates that a maximum of three temporary employment contracts may be concluded with a lecturer for a maximum duration of 3 years, or a one-off long-term contract that lasts longer than 3 years. In addition to the Collective Agreement for Dutch Universities, specific agreements regarding the legal position of lecturers apply within uu77 from 1 January 2025. Click here to read what these agreements are.
Support and Management staff
You will join as support and management staff. After demonstrating your suitability for 12 months, you will be employed for an indefinite contract if you continue in the same position.
Academic staff with a VIDI grant
Are you a member of academic staff with a VIDI grant than you will be offered an indefinite employment contract. These situations are subject to the condition that the University Teaching Qualification (UTQ) is obtained within the applicable time frame.
The PhD candidate
The collective agreement determines that a PhD candidate is offered an employment contract for a definite period of time for the time allotted to the pursuit of the PhD. However, at the start of the PhD programme, an employment contract for 18 months is concluded with the PhD candidate first in order to assess suitability. An employment contract with a PhD candidate can be extended indefinitely in time and duration. Therefore no maximum terms or a maximum number of successive employment contracts apply.
Further possibilities for employment contracts for a limited period:
- Are you a member of academic staff holding a position other than that of professor with an FTE of 0.2 or more, or that of assistant professor or associate professor, your temporary contract is valid for a maximum of three years. This period includes a maximum of two extensions. Under certain conditions, a temporary employment contract may be extended for up to three or four years.
- If you are part of support and management staff and the 12-month temporary employment provision does not apply, your temporary contract can be extended for up to three years. This period includes a maximum of two extensions. Under certain conditions, a temporary employment contract may be extended for up to three or four years.
- Deviations are possible in some cases by concluding a one-off fixed term contract for a longer period, which may be extended once for up to three months upon commencement of employment.
- The collective agreement stipulates that the employer may decide to extend a temporary employment contract at the request of the employee, subject to the maximum duration stated in the collective agreement, by:
o the duration of pregnancy and maternity leave;
o the duration of illness, if there is a continuous period of illness of at least 8 weeks.
o the extent of parental leave taken;
o the duration of performing an administrative function recognised by the Executive Board.
This is an option; not a right to renewal. For questions about this option, please contact your faculty/unit’s HR department.
However, for a phd candidate, on request, employment will be extended by the duration of maternity leave taken and also parental leave taken to the extent such leave was taken during the phd period.