An employer may lay off an employee on a fixed-term contract only if the fixed-term employee was hired to cover for a permanent employee and the employer had the right to lay off the permanent employee if they were working.
Lay-off that started no later than 31 December 2020
Due to the coronavirus, employees on a fixed-term contract could also be laid off like employees on a contract that is valid until further notice. As of 1 January 2021, a fixed-term employee can only be laid off if the employee they are covering for could be laid off. Therefore, if a fixed-term employee is not covering for anyone, they cannot, as a rule, be laid off. If the lay-off of a fixed-term employee has started no later than 31 December 2020, they can be laid off like an employee on an employment contract valid until further notice.
