What the law requires
An employer may end the contract with immediate effect only for an urgent reason, and must tell you that reason immediately (art. 7:677(1) Dutch Civil Code); the law lists examples such as theft and gross insult (art. 7:678). The court weighs all circumstances, and if you dispute the reason the employer must prove it.
Why speed matters
A request to annul the dismissal or for compensation must be filed within two months after the contract ended (art. 7:686a(4)(a)). A summary dismissal can also affect your unemployment benefit and transition payment.
What you can do
- Ask for the reason in writing if it wasn't clear, and state in writing that you disagree.
- Keep everything: the dismissal letter, messages, schedules, reviews.
- Within two months, choose: annulment (you stay employed and keep your right to pay), or accept the end and claim compensation. A lawyer is not required at the subdistrict court, but often wise in dismissal cases.