Dringende reden

In Dutch employment law, an urgent reason constitutes the basis for summary dismissal. Pursuant to Article 7:678 of the Dutch Civil Code, this must involve facts or circumstances of such a nature that the employer cannot reasonably be required to continue the employment contract.

The urgent reason must be notified to the employee without delay and described with sufficient specificity. Both the gravity of the incident and the surrounding circumstances, including the length of the employment relationship and the employee’s position, are taken into account in the assessment.

In practice, dismissal for urgent cause frequently gives rise to proceedings concerning its lawfulness, in which the subdistrict court examines whether the reason was genuinely urgent and whether the employer acted promptly.