Checking a Dutch settlement agreement (VSO)
A vaststellingsovereenkomst, or VSO, ends employment by agreement. Check the whole proposal before signing: the end date, reason for termination and outstanding payments can affect your position.
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1. Check the facts
Ask for the draft and enough time to review it. List notice period, salary until the end, unused leave, holiday allowance, any negotiated compensation and restrictions on future work. A headline payment is not the complete settlement.
2. Take action
Have the wording checked for your circumstances, especially illness, a temporary contract or a residence permit tied to employment. A clause saying that benefits are safe does not bind UWV. Compensation in a VSO must be agreed rather than assumed.
3. If the problem continues
Dutch law normally provides 14 days to withdraw in writing, or 21 if the employer did not state that right. Act immediately if you already signed; the calculation and possible exceptions need checking. Keep proof that your withdrawal reached the employer.
Documents to prepare
- Draft and signed versions
- Contract and start date
- Payslips, leave balance and correspondence
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Rijksoverheid ↗Het Juridisch Loket ↗Het Juridisch Loket ↗Sources may be in Dutch. General information about Dutch law, not individual legal advice. Updated 11 September 2026.