Frans Pennings studied Dutch language and literature at Utrecht University, where he obtained his master’s degree in 1982.

He continued his studies in Law, specializing in Labour Law, and obtained his second Master in in 1985

After assignments as central coordinator of the science shops of Utrecht University and as researcher, he wrote his PHD dissertation at Utrecht University, being employed by NWO, the Dutch Science Organisation).

In 1990 he defended his thesis at Utrecht University, called Benefits of Doubt, a comparative study of employment and unemployment schemes in the UK, Germany, France and the Netherlands.

In this year he left Utrecht University for a job as assistant professor at Tilburg University, where he became associate professor and professor successively, the latter being financed by Stichting instituut Gak. Next to this job, he became part-time professor at Utrecht University in 2002, on European and comparative social security law.

In 2008 he became professor of labour law and social security law at Utrecht University.

From 2011 to 2018 he was also guest professor at Gothenburg University, Sweden

In 2014 he obtained a honorary doctorate at Gothenburg University.

In 2024 he retired from Utrecht University and became emeritus professor.

Alongside this work at the University he has been voluntary judge at the Centrale Raad van Beroep (Highest Court in social security and civil servants cases) since 1997.

He was co-editor fo the European Journal of Social Security for 22 years.

Since 2013 he is editor in chief of Tijdschrift Recht en arbeid, a leading Dutch journal on labour law.