Use of a resolutive condition in the employment contract punished by the subdistrict court!

Employment Law

20 April 2022

Use of a resolutive condition in the employment contract punished by the subdistrict court!

Stelt u zich eens voor: u werkt al jaren met dezelfde zelfstandige. Hij stuurt facturen, factureert btw en heeft een eigen kvk-nummer. Toch krijgt u in 2026 ineens vragen van de Belastingdienst over de aard van uw samenwerking. Hoe heeft het zo ver kunnen komen?

In the recent court case of 24 February 2022, the subdistrict court ruled that the withdrawal of the Schiphol pass following criminal prosecution of a Menzies employee is not a legally valid resolutive condition. The employment contract stated: 4. The Employee receives the Schiphol pass. This agreement automatically ends with immediate effect if and as soon as the Employee is no longer issued a Schiphol pass, necessary for carrying out his work, by the competent authority, or the Schiphol pass is withdrawn or confiscated.

Dissolution only possible once criminal guilt has been proven.
In this case, the triggering of the resolutive condition rests on the criminal suspicion as a result of which the employee’s Schiphol pass was withdrawn. The mere fact that the employee is suspected of a criminal offence, however — because of the presumption of innocence that applies in the Netherlands, and given the employee’s explicit denial of any involvement in drug smuggling — constitutes insufficient justification for terminating the employment relationship. The same applies to the withdrawal of the Schiphol pass as a result of the suspicion raised against the employee. The subdistrict court therefore holds that the use of the resolutive condition in this case is contrary to the Dutch dismissal system. Also weighing into this is that it cannot be ruled out that, in due course, once the criminal investigation has concluded, the employment contract could (again) be given substance.

Note, however: no right to continued wage payment, and no reinstatement to do other work either!
Naturally, you do not then need to continue paying wages, since the withdrawal of the pass is not for the account and risk of the employer. The requested reinstatement in the agreed work was therefore also rejected. After all, it was established that the employee could not perform his role without a valid Schiphol pass.

Dissolution is possible if convicted.
If the employee is ultimately convicted, meaning the Schiphol pass can no longer be issued either, dissolution is of course justified and legitimate. All the more reason to keep such a resolutive condition, but to handle its use wisely. Consult a lawyer as soon as you wish to make use of a resolutive condition in your employment contract.

Both drafting it and applying it in a given case is specialist work. Our employment-law lawyers specialise in this and can help you well with it. Contact us directly by emailing info@thelegalcompany.nl, calling 020-3450152, or filling in our contact form. We will then call or email you back within 24 hours.

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De afgelopen jaren stonden in het teken van de Wet VBAR, het wetsvoorstel dat een einde moest maken aan onduidelijkheid over de zzp’er. Het kabinet heeft delen van dat voorstel inmiddels geschrapt. Op het eerste gezicht is dat goed nieuws: minder regels, minder administratieve last. Maar in de praktijk blijven dezelfde toetsen overeind.

“De inhoud van de samenwerking is leidend, niet wat er op papier staat.”

De Belastingdienst handhaaft sinds 1 januari 2025 weer actief op schijnzelfstandigheid. En recente uitspraken van de Hoge Raad bevestigen dat rechters strikt toetsen of er sprake is van ondergeschiktheid en gezagsverhouding.

Voor uw praktijk betekent dit drie dingen. Een: leg de samenwerking duidelijk vast, met aandacht voor de inhoud. Twee: voorkom dat een zzp’er feitelijk werkt als werknemer. Drie: wees voorbereid op een controle, en weet hoe u de relatie kunt herzien als dat moet.

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