also called fixed-term contract · temporary contract
An employment contract with a set end date, as opposed to an open-ended one that continues until either side ends it.
A fixed-term employment contract has a set end date, unlike an open-ended one that just continues until either side ends it. In many countries a fixed-term deal carries fewer protections and simply expires, though repeated renewals can legally turn it into a permanent one. For a mobile worker it affects both your job security and, in some places, a residence permit that depends on that job.
You take a role abroad on a fixed-term contract and treat it like a permanent job. When the end date arrives the contract just lapses, and because your residence permit was tied to that employment, your right to stay wobbles along with the job.
In many countries a fixed-term contract carries fewer protections and simply expires, while repeated renewals can legally convert it to permanent. For a mobile worker it affects both job security and, in some places, the residence permit that depends on the job.
The difference is the whole point, so here is each one in a line.
These are opposite ends of job security.
At-will employment, most associated with the United States, lets either side end the job at almost any time without notice or severance, while a fixed-term employment contract runs to a set end date, as opposed to an open-ended one that continues until either side ends it.
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