Severance here is statutory rather than negotiated, and it starts accruing from the first working day — a detail that surprises people whose contract ended after only a few months. Whether it is owed at all turns on who brought the employment to an end, not on how long it lasted.
Transitievergoeding is a statutory transition payment, effectively severance, owed from your very first day of employment — even a short contract or one that ends during proeftijd counts — whenever the employer initiates the end of the relationship. You're not entitled to it if you resign voluntarily or if the end is due to your own serious misconduct. The formula is one-third of a gross monthly salary per full year worked, pro-rated for partial years, calculated on your salary plus vakantiegeld (holiday allowance) and any structural bonuses. It's capped in 2026 at €102,000 gross, or one full year's gross salary if that figure is higher for you. If your employer disputes the calculation or tries to avoid paying it, a juridisch loket appointment or your union can check the math.