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Employment in Delft
The Delft economy is dominated by the university, its spin-offs, engineering consultancies and the startup layer around the campus - employers who are small, fast-growing and largely staffed by young international technical graduates on first or second contracts. Contracts are often issued on six or twelve month terms from a template, with clauses copied across without regard to the term. That combination of inexperienced employee, template contract and short term is where invalid probation periods and unenforceable restrictive covenants turn up most.
Common employment problems in Delft
Probation clauses that are void
A contract of six months or less can have no probation period at all - not a shorter one, none. A clause exceeding the statutory limit is void entirely rather than reduced to the lawful maximum.
A second probation in a follow-on contract
A fresh probation clause in a second contract with the same or a successor employer is generally void, unless the new role clearly demands different skills or responsibilities. That exception is narrower than employers assume.
Fixed-term contracts ended early
A fixed-term contract without an interim-notice clause cannot simply be terminated part-way through. Where it is, the remainder of the term may still be owed.
Equity, options and IP in startup contracts
Vesting schedules, option terms and invention-assignment clauses are common in Delft contracts and frequently drafted without legal review, which is exactly when they produce disputes at the exit.
Restrictive covenants in small companies
Non-compete clauses in fixed-term contracts require a written motivation showing a compelling business interest. Template contracts rarely include one.
Where a case would be heard
The Hague District Court
Rechtbank Den Haag
Sits at: Prins Clauslaan 60, The Hague
There is no court location in Delft. The Delft subdistrict location closed in 2013, and Delft cases are heard in The Hague - though Delft remains within The Hague judicial district.
How finding a lawyer in Delft works
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The lawyer decides whether to accept the matter, confirms their own fees and provides all legal advice. Any FindLawyer fee is explained before you decide anything, and the initial 15-minute matching call is free.
Read this first
Dismissed during a probation period in Delft
Probation clauses are void, not shortened, when they exceed the limit. Check the contract length first.
Read the full explanationEmployment law in Delft: common questions
My six-month contract had a one-month probation. Is that allowed?
No. A contract of six months or less cannot contain a probation period at all. The clause is void, which means a dismissal during it was not a probation dismissal and had to meet the ordinary requirements.
My probation was two months in a one-year contract. Does it become one?
No. A clause exceeding the statutory limit is void in its entirety rather than reduced to the lawful maximum. There was no valid probation period.
Can my employer put a new probation in my second contract?
Generally no. It is void unless the new role clearly demands different skills or responsibilities - a narrow exception that a promotion in the same field usually does not meet.
Would my case be heard in Delft?
No. The Delft court location closed in 2013. Delft remains in The Hague judicial district and cases are heard at the The Hague District Court on Prins Clauslaan.
Need an employment lawyer in Delft?
FindLawyer reviews your documents, tells you honestly whether involving a lawyer is worth it, and selects a suitable independent lawyer if it is. The 15-minute matching call is free.
No obligation. Any FindLawyer fee is explained before you decide. The lawyer decides whether to accept the matter, confirms their own fees and provides all legal advice.
Employment law in other cities
Last reviewed 14 August 2026.