Fixed-term contracts typically offer a lower level of protection to workers in terms of termination of employment as compared to contracts of indefinite duration. This is because the employer generally does not need to provide a justification for ending the employment relationship, as the FTC includes a set end date. In the majority of cases, no severance pay is paid. Convention No. 158 specifies that member States may exclude workers engaged under “a contract of employment for a specified period of time or a specified task” from all or some of the provisions of the Convention (Art.2(2)). However, it also provides that “adequate safeguards” must be provided against recourse to such contracts that would aim at avoiding the protection resulting from the Convention (Art.2(3)).
The Termination of Employment Recommendation, 1982 (No. 166) provides guidance on adequate safeguards that can be implemented. It provides, for example, that “provision may be made for one or more of the following:
(a) limiting recourse to contracts for a specified period of time to cases in which, owing either to the nature of the work to be effected or to the circumstances under which it is to be effected or to the interests of the worker, the employment relationship cannot be of indeterminate duration;
(b) deeming contracts for a specified period of time, other than in the cases referred to in clause (a) of this subparagraph, to be contracts of employment of indeterminate duration;
(c) deeming contracts for a specified period of time, when renewed on one or more occasions, other than in the cases mentioned in clause (a) of this subparagraph, to be contracts of employment of indeterminate duration” (para. 3).
While some national systems do not regulate the use of fixed-term contracts, others consider one or several types of safeguards: establishing the list of reasons under which enterprises are allowed to use fixed-term contracts, placing limits on the maximum number of successive fixed-term contract with the same worker, or placing limits on the maximum cumulative duration of successive FTCs.
Year(s) | Country | Region | FTC regulated | Valid reasons for FTC use | Maximum number of successive FTCs | Maximum cumulative duration of successive FTCs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | Iran, Islamic Republic of | Asia | Y | no limitation | no limitation | no limitation |
2011 | Viet Nam | Asia | Y | objective and material reasons | 2 | 72 |
2013 | United Arab Emirates | Arab States | Y | no limitation | no limitation | no limitation |
2013 | Ethiopia | Africa | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | no limitation |
2013 | Syrian Arab Republic | Arab States | Y | no limitation | no limitation | 60 |
2013 | Yemen | Arab States | Y | no limitation | no limitation | no limitation |
2017 | China | Asia | Y | no limitation | 2 | 120 |
2017 | Germany | Europe | Y | objective and material reasons | 4 | 24 |
2017 | Denmark | Europe | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | no limitation |
2017 | Estonia | Europe | Y | objective and material reasons | 2 | 120 |
2017 | Egypt | Africa | Y | no limitation | no limitation | no limitation |
2017 | Saint Lucia | Americas | Y | no limitation | no limitation | no limitation |
2017 | Moldova, Republic of | Europe | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | 60 |
2017 | North Macedonia | Europe | Y | no limitation | no limitation | 60 |
2017 | Mongolia | Asia | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | no limitation |
2017 | Saudi Arabia | Arab States | Y | no limitation | 2 | 36 |
2017 | Sweden | Europe | Y | no limitation | no limitation | 24 |
2017 | United States | Americas | N | no limitation | no limitation | no limitation |
2018 | Antigua and Barbuda | Americas | N | no limitation | no limitation | no limitation |
2018 | Armenia | Europe | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | no limitation |
2018 | Botswana | Africa | Y | no limitation | no limitation | no limitation |
2018 | Cambodia | Asia | Y | no limitation | no limitation | 24 |
2018 | Malaysia | Asia | Y | no limitation | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | Afghanistan | Asia | Y | no limitation | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | Angola | Africa | Y | no limitation | no limitation | 60 |
2019 | Argentina | Americas | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | 60 |
2019 | Austria | Europe | Y | no limitation on first FTC | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | Australia | Asia | N | no limitation | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | Azerbaijan | Europe | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | 60 |
2019 | Bangladesh | Asia | N | no limitation | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | Belgium | Europe | Y | no limitation on first FTC | 4 | 36 |
2019 | Burkina Faso | Africa | Y | no limitation | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | Bulgaria | Europe | Y | objective and material reasons | 1 | 36 |
2019 | Bolivia | Americas | Y | objective and material reasons | 2 | 12 |
2019 | Brazil | Americas | Y | objective and material reasons | 2 | 24 |
2019 | Canada (Federal only) | Americas | N | no limitation | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | Congo, Democratic Republic | Africa | Y | objective and material reasons | 2 | 48 |
2019 | Central African Republic | Africa | Y | no limitation | no limitation | 24 |
2019 | Switzerland | Europe | Y | no limitation | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | Côte d'Ivoire | Africa | Y | no limitation | no limitation | 24 |
2019 | Chile | Americas | Y | no limitation | 2 | 12 |
2019 | Cameroon | Africa | Y | no limitation | 2 | 48 |
2019 | Colombia | Americas | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | 36 |
2019 | Costa Rica | Americas | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | 12 |
2019 | Cuba | Americas | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | Cyprus | Europe | Y | no limitation | no limitation | 30 |
2019 | Czechia | Europe | Y | no limitation | 2 | 36 |
2019 | Algeria | Africa | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | 36 |
2019 | Ecuador | Americas | Y | no limitation | no limitation | 24 |
2019 | Spain | Europe | Y | objective and material reasons | 2 | 24 |
2019 | Finland | Europe | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | France | Europe | Y | objective and material reasons | 3 | 18 |
2019 | Gabon | Africa | Y | no limitation | 2 | 48 |
2019 | United Kingdom | Europe | Y | no limitation | no limitation | 48 |
2019 | Georgia | Europe | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | 30 |
2019 | Greece | Europe | Y | objective and material reasons | 3 | 36 |
2019 | Guatemala | Americas | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | Honduras | Americas | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | 12 |
2019 | Hungary | Europe | Y | no limitation | no limitation | 60 |
2019 | Indonesia | Asia | Y | objective and material reasons | 2 | 36 |
2019 | India | Asia | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | Italy | Europe | Y | 4 | 24 | |
2019 | Jamaica | Americas | Y | no limitation | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | Jordan | Arab States | N | no limitation | no limitation | 60 |
2019 | Japan | Asia | Y | no limitation | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | Kyrgyzstan | Europe | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | 60 |
2019 | Comoros | Africa | Y | no limitation | 2 | 36 |
2019 | Korea, Republic of | Asia | Y | no limitation | no limitation | 24 |
2019 | Kazakhstan | Europe | Y | objective and material reasons | 2 | 24 |
2019 | Sri Lanka | Asia | N | no limitation | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | Lesotho | Africa | Y | no limitation | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | Luxembourg | Europe | Y | objective and material reasons | 3 | 24 |
2019 | Morocco | Africa | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | 24 |
2019 | Madagascar | Africa | Y | objective and material reasons | 2 | 24 |
2019 | Malawi | Africa | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | Mexico | Americas | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | Mozambique | Africa | Y | objective and material reasons | 2 | 24 |
2019 | Namibia | Africa | N | objective and material reasons | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | Niger | Africa | Y | objective and material reasons | 2 | 48 |
2019 | Nicaragua | Americas | Y | no limitation | 2 | no limitation |
2019 | Netherlands | Europe | Y | no limitation | 3 | 24 |
2019 | Norway | Europe | Y | no limitation | no limitation | 36 |
2019 | New Zealand | Asia | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | Panama | Americas | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | 12 |
2019 | Peru | Americas | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | 60 |
2019 | Philippines | Asia | Y | no limitation | no limitation | 12 |
2019 | Poland | Europe | Y | objective and material reasons | 3 | 33 |
2019 | Portugal | Europe | Y | objective and material reasons | 3 | 48 |
2019 | Paraguay | Americas | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | 60 |
2019 | Romania | Europe | Y | objective and material reasons | 3 | 36 |
2019 | Russian Federation | Europe | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | 60 |
2019 | Rwanda | Africa | Y | no limitation | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | Singapore | Asia | N | no limitation | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | Slovenia | Europe | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | 24 |
2019 | Slovakia | Europe | Y | no limitation | 3 | 24 |
2019 | Senegal | Africa | Y | objective and material reasons | 2 | 48 |
2019 | El Salvador | Americas | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | Thailand | Asia | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | 24 |
2019 | Tajikistan | Europe | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | 12 |
2019 | Turkmenistan | Europe | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | 60 |
2019 | Tunisia | Africa | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | 48 |
2019 | Turkey | Europe | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | Tanzania, United Republic of | Africa | Y | no limitation | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | Ukraine | Europe | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | Uganda | Africa | N | no limitation | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | Uruguay | Americas | Y | no limitation | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | Uzbekistan | Europe | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | 60 |
2019 | Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of | Americas | Y | objective and material reasons | 2 | 12 |
2019 | Serbia | Europe | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | 24 |
2019 | South Africa | Africa | N | no limitation | no limitation | no limitation |
2019 | Zambia | Africa | Y | no limitation | no limitation | 24 |
2020 | Ghana | Africa | N | no limitation | no limitation | no limitation |
2020 | Montenegro | Europe | Y | objective and material reasons | no limitation | 36 |
2020 | Nigeria | Africa | N | no limitation | no limitation | no limitation |