Checking an employment contract: what should you ask before signing?
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Detailed explanation, checklist and sources
Compare the full offer with what was discussed: duration, hours, pay, probation and leaving arrangements. Completing a checklist does not certify validity. This preparation concerns work in the Netherlands, not an individual legal assessment.
On this page
1. Collect the complete offer
Compare the draft, offer email and referenced attachments. Request the relevant staff handbook and applicable collective agreement. Check the employer, role and workplace. Naming a collective agreement alone does not establish which provisions apply to your work.
2. Separate contract duration from leaving early
Note the start date and, for fixed-term work, end date or defined ending event. Separately check written early-termination permission and the notice period. An end date is not a right to leave earlier. Include previous contracts when renewing; use our existing notice-period guide for the specific rules.
3. Compare hours, pay and availability
Record guaranteed hours, extra hours, scheduling arrangements and gross hourly or monthly pay. Ask whether holiday allowance and supplements are separate and how overtime, travel and bonuses work. Zero-hours and min-max contracts also require checking calls and guaranteed pay; a high hourly rate without guaranteed hours says little about monthly income.
4. Check probation and earlier employment
Find the written probation clause and compare it with contract duration and earlier duties for the same or a successor employer. A new signature does not automatically permit new probation. Resolve doubts before resigning from your current job. Our probation guide covers the specific conditions; this checklist does not approve a clause.
Rijksoverheid · Inhoud arbeidsovereenkomst ↗
5. Flag restrictions and missing agreements
Flag non-compete and client restrictions, training costs, penalties, outside work and variation clauses. Ask about scope, costs and exceptions. Use existing guides for training costs and post-employment restrictions. Signing does not make every clause valid; equally, do not assume you may ignore it without assessment.
6. Prepare questions and keep the final version
For each unclear point, note the current wording, your question and desired clarification. Ensure agreed changes appear in final documents and keep your own copy. Ask for time before signing if needed; do not assume a general statutory cooling-off period afterwards. Use a union, legal expenses insurer or our help request route for review; nothing is sent automatically to your employer.
Can employment exist without a signature?
An employment agreement can also be oral. Written records help with evidence, but no signature does not prove there is no employment relationship. Request missing terms and obtain advice about any dispute.
Documents to prepare
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For each event, note the date, what happened and where the evidence is kept. Example: 3 October — letter received — correspondence folder.
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- Draft and all referenced attachments
- Employer, role, workplace and start date
- End date, early-termination clause and notice
- Guaranteed hours, gross pay and supplements
- Probation, earlier contracts and restrictions
- Open questions, agreed changes and final copy
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Need personal assistance? Request a lawyer through our chat. We explain the next step; submitting a request does not engage a lawyer. The links below support the legal information.
Rijksoverheid · Inhoud arbeidsovereenkomst ↗Rijksoverheid · Wettelijke regels en cao ↗Rijksoverheid · Ontslag nemen ↗Rijksoverheid · Oproepcontracten ↗Rijksoverheid · Proeftijd ↗Sources may be in Dutch. General information about Dutch law, not individual legal advice.