An employer's dismissal letter giving notice must state the start date and length of the notice period, and go by registered post or bailiff. The registered letter takes effect on the 3rd working day after posting. Notice starts the following Monday. Miss one of these elements and the notice is void: you pay compensation in lieu of notice.
What must an employer's dismissal letter contain?
Most templates online are for an employee who resigns. Stricter rules apply to an employer. There are three types of dismissal letter, each with its own requirements:
| Type of dismissal | Form | Required content | Consequence of a mistake |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notice worked | Registered post or bailiff | Start date and length of notice | Notice void, you pay compensation in lieu of notice |
| Termination with compensation | No set form, writing recommended | End date and the principle of compensation | Dispute about date and amount |
| Serious cause | Registered post, bailiff or hand delivery against signature | Dismissal and precise facts, within 3 working days | Serious cause falls away |
The length of notice depends on seniority and on the contract start date. For contracts starting from 1 August 2026, notice in the first 6 months is 1 week. For contracts from 1 June 2026, notice stops at 52 weeks. The full table is in our guide to the employer's notice period.
A registered dismissal letter: when does the notice start?
The registered letter takes effect on the 3rd working day after posting. Every day except Sundays and public holidays counts as a working day. Notice starts on the Monday after the week in which the letter takes effect.
- Posted on Tuesday 6 October 2026: effect on Friday 9 October, notice from Monday 12 October 2026.
- Posted on Thursday 8 October 2026: effect on Monday 12 October, notice only from Monday 19 October 2026.
Posting two days later therefore costs a full week's pay. Post as early in the week as possible, and allow for public holidays.
Template 1: dismissal letter with a notice period
A white-collar employee has worked for you since 1 September 2022. For notice starting on 12 October 2026 she has four years' seniority, so a notice period of 15 weeks.
Registered post
[Employee name], [address]
[Place], [posting date]
Re: notice of termination of your employment contract
Dear Ms [name],
We hereby give notice terminating your employment contract of indefinite duration, with a notice period of 15 weeks. The notice period starts on Monday 12 October 2026.
During the notice period [you will continue to work your normal schedule / you are released from work on full pay].
[Optional: The specific reasons for this dismissal are: ...]
Yours sincerely,
[Name, role, signature, company number]
Download this template in Word and PDF, in Dutch and French.
State the length in weeks and the start date as a date. "From the statutory date" or "in accordance with the law" is not enough. Do not state an end date: illness, holiday or temporary unemployment during the notice suspends the period, so an end date worked out in advance becomes wrong.
Template 2: termination with compensation in lieu of notice
If you want the employee to leave straight away, you terminate the contract and pay compensation in lieu of notice. The law sets no form, but a letter avoids disputes.
Re: termination of your employment contract
Dear Ms [name],
We are terminating your employment contract today, [date], with immediate effect. You will receive compensation in lieu of notice equal to 15 weeks' pay, calculated under article 39 of the Employment Contracts Act.
You will receive your final pay and social documents within the statutory time limits.
Yours sincerely,
[Name, role, signature]
Download this template in Word and PDF, in Dutch and French.
Worked example. With a gross monthly salary of € 3,200, weekly pay is € 3,200 × 3 / 13 = € 738.46. The compensation is 15 x € 738.46 = € 11,076.90, plus contractual benefits such as meal vouchers or a company car.
Template 3: dismissal for serious cause
That template, with the deadlines on a calendar and the evidence checklist, is in our guide to dismissal for serious cause. In short: dismissal and facts in one registered letter, posted within 3 working days of knowing the facts with certainty.
Dismissal letter for a fixed-term contract
You can end a fixed-term contract with notice during the first half of its term, provided that period does not exceed 6 months. You then use the same notice periods and the same form as for an open-ended contract: registered post, with start date and length. This is only possible for the first contract in a series.
After that period you can only terminate with compensation: wages until the end of the contract, but never more than twice the notice that would apply to an open-ended contract. More in our article on ending a fixed-term contract.
Checklist: the traps that make a dismissal letter void
Check before you post the letter:
- Registered post or bailiff. Notice from the employer handed over in person or sent by email is void.
- Start date stated. A specific Monday, worked out from the third working day after posting.
- Length stated. In weeks, using the right table for the contract start date.
- Correct seniority. Count earlier contracts with the same employer, and agency work in the same role up to 1 year at most.
- Authorised signatory. Someone who can represent the company.
- Language. In Flanders the letter must be in Dutch, even for an employee who speaks another language.
- Protection checked. Pregnancy, parental leave, career break, union representative: a protected employee cannot simply be dismissed.
- Outplacement. With notice of 30 weeks or more, make an outplacement offer by registered letter within 4 weeks of the start of notice. Employees aged 45 or over with at least 1 year of continuous service are also entitled to outplacement with shorter notice. Everything is covered in is outplacement mandatory.
Reasons under CBA 109: in the letter or later?
Employees with at least 6 months' seniority may ask for the specific reasons for their dismissal. If you set out the reasons yourself in writing in the dismissal letter, you do not have to answer later. Write facts, not general terms. If in doubt, leave the reasons out and answer later by registered letter within 2 months of the request. How that works is explained in dismissal reasons under CBA 109.
After the letter: documents and Dimona
At the end of the contract you file the Dimona exit, prepare the final pay slip and issue the C4 and the holiday certificate. What to provide and when is set out in social documents on dismissal.
What Business Centrum does for you
We calculate the notice period from the actual seniority and start date, fill in the letter with the right Monday and length, and tell you which day to post it. After the employee leaves, we process the Dimona, the final pay and the C4, together with Acerta. More about our help with employment contracts and dismissal.