Why do contracts expire unseen?
Most NGO staff work on fixed terms tied to project funding. Dates sit in contracts, in emails and in a manager’s head. When a grant is extended or ends, the contract date is not always updated. Then one of two things happens. A good person leaves because nobody spoke to them in time. Or someone keeps working after their contract ended, which creates legal and payment problems.
A renewal date is a deadline like any other. It needs an owner and an early warning.
What data do you need?
For each person, keep these in one record:
- Contract type and start date.
- Contract end date.
- The grant or project that funds the post, and the grant end date.
- The line manager and the HR contact.
- Probation end date, if still running.
- Notes on past renewals.
Link each contract to its funding. A contract that ends in June but is funded by a grant that closes in March carries a risk you should see early.
What alert schedule works?
Use three alerts, each with a clear task:
| Alert | What happens |
|---|---|
| 120 days before | Manager checks the funding and whether the role is still needed |
| 90 days before | Manager and HR decide: renew, change or end |
| 60 days before | Staff member is told; paperwork is prepared |
Add a final check at 30 days for anything still open. Review the list at a regular HR meeting, such as once a month.
How do you decide?
For each contract coming up, the manager and HR answer five questions:
- Is the role still needed after the end date?
- Is funding confirmed, and for how long?
- Did the staff member meet their goals? See our guide to performance reviews.
- Does the new term change the role, the grade or the place?
- What does local law require on notice, renewal and any end-of-contract payments?
Employment law on fixed-term contracts differs widely by country. Some places limit how often you can renew, or require notice or payment on expiry. Check yours, and ask a local lawyer where unsure.
What should you record?
Record the alert date, who was told, the decision, the date of the decision, and a short reason. If the decision is not to renew, record that the person was told in writing and by when. If you end a contract, move to the offboarding checklist so access and assets are handled.
How do you avoid gaps in cover?
If a key person leaves, you need a handover plan. At the 90-day alert, ask three things: who covers the work, what knowledge sits only in this person’s head, and whether a short extension would help the handover. Plan for the people who hold donor relationships or financial approvals first.
A simple monthly routine
Once a month, HR and one finance colleague spend thirty minutes on a short list:
- Contracts ending in the next 120 days, sorted by end date.
- For each, the grant that funds it and the grant end date.
- Decisions made since last month and decisions still open.
- Anyone whose contract has already ended with no record of a decision.
- Identity documents, work permits and visas expiring in the same window, since a lapsed permit can end a contract in practice even if the paper contract continues.
Share the list with country directors. When a funding gap is likely, they can talk to donors early about a no-cost extension or a new grant, instead of finding out at the last minute. Staff trust the process when they hear about their own contract from their manager, early, and not from a rumour.
Keep one rule in mind: no contract should end without a decision on file. A missing decision is itself a finding that a donor or auditor may raise, and it often means someone worked without cover. When in doubt, ask HR early and write the answer down.
Where EMPOBase fits
EMPOBase has Contract Renewals in the People & HR module, and the Staff Directory records contract type and contract end date for each person. Contract-decision events use the profile dates, so you review the checklists, owners and dates that result. They are only as accurate as the dates in the profile, so keep those current. EMPOBase does not tell you what your country’s law requires. See the platform page.