Recommendations for contracts and freelancers in archaeology

In November 2023, the Archaeology Chain Table presented, among other things, a ‘Standard Regulations on Secondary Employment Conditions.’ As of now, two additional memoranda are available: ‘Contract form and contract duration’ and ‘Position of self-employed workers’. The contents of these are relevant to workers, businesses, organizations and governments in archaeology. They can also be useful for other cultural and creative subsectors. More fair pay practice tools to follow.

Practice tools

View and download the Archaeology Chain Table practice tools here:

• Practice tool 1: Unofficial Function House Archaeology. Final version, November 2023.
• Practice tool 2: Standard arrangement for secondary benefits archaeology. Final version, November 2023.
• Practical tool 2: Standard regulation on secondary employment conditions for archaeology. Note 1 – Form of contract and duration of contract. May 2024.
• Practical tool 2: Standard regulation on secondary employment conditions for archaeology. Note 2 – Position of self-employed workers. May 2024.

Form of Contract and Duration of Contract

There are various forms of employment contracts in the Netherlands. Contracts for fixed and indefinite periods, secondment/agency contracts and (increasingly rare) zero-hours contracts and payrolling. The duration of the contract (for a fixed term) varies: from short-term contracts on a project basis, to several months or a year. All these different forms are used in the Dutch archaeological labor market. The chain table highlights laws and regulations in the memorandum “Contract Form and Contract Duration.

1. Bottlenecks identified

On the basis of independent preliminary investigations and knowledge of the field, the Chain Table identified various bottlenecks in archaeology. These include failure to progress to a permanent contract after a number of temporary employment contracts and poorer secondary benefits for a temporary employee.

2. Recommended improvements

In this memo, the chain table makes recommendations for improvement such as:

• For employers, make sure you choose the form of contract carefully.
  • Flexible where flexible is needed.
  • For structural format space, start with a fixed-term contract.
  • If mutually agreeable then an indefinite contract.
• For employees, ask for clarity before you start anywhere, ask for intent.
  • What is the reason for the vacancy and how it will be filled?
  • Is it a temporary filling?
  • Is an extension potentially possible?

Position of self-employed workers

In the memo “Position of self-employed workers,” the chain table shows their labor market plus income in archaeology and highlights the laws and regulations that apply to them.

1. Outlined problems

The chain table outlined a number of problems with regard to the self-employed in archaeology. First, false self-employment. Next, the negotiating position of freelancers: this is weakened in the current market by strong competition on price. Moreover, as subcontractors, they are rarely involved in the main contractor’s bidding process. As a result, the subcontractor has little influence on the schedule and the rates to be charged. In addition, being uninsured for disability, legal liability and pension is a problem.

2. Proposed solution directions

• To solve the problem of “false self-employment,” the chain table refers in particular to new legislation.
• The poor negotiating position can be overcome by zzp rate proposals from the chain table that are grafted onto rewards of employees with similar work, mutual price agreements between zzp’ers and model tendering conditions archaeology.
• Rate proposals from the chain table that allow the self-employed room for insurance for disability, legal liability and retirement could provide a solution to being uninsured.