- Notice can grow with length of service, in steps set by law, as in Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland and the UK. Some countries set one period for everyone, such as South Korea's 30 days.
- Some countries set no fixed statutory minimum: New Zealand leaves it to the employment agreement, and in Italy notice comes from the collective agreement.
- Contracts and collective agreements can give more than the legal minimum, and in some countries notice must run to a set date, such as the end of a month.
- Through an EOR, the notice period follows local law and the employment contract; ask how the provider bills notice worked and pay in lieu. Severance is a separate cost: see severance pay by country.
| Country | Notice the employer must give | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | Unless a longer period is agreed: 15 days from the employee; from the employer, 1 month with up to 5 years' service and 2 months with more, or pay in lieu. No notice is required during the trial period. If the employer dismisses without notice other than at month end, it also pays salary for the rest of that month. | Ley de Contrato de Trabajo (Law 20.744) |
| Australia | Minimum employer notice under the NES: 1 week (1 year's service or less), 2 weeks (over 1 to 3 years), 3 weeks (over 3 to 5 years), 4 weeks (over 5 years), plus an extra week for employees over 45 with at least 2 years' continuous service. It can be worked or paid in lieu, applies during probation too, and isn't required for serious misconduct. | Dismissal: minimum notice period |
| Austria | Unless more favourable terms are agreed, the employer must give 6 weeks' notice, rising to 2 months after 2 years of service, 3 months after 5, 4 months after 15 and 5 months after 25, to the end of a calendar quarter. The contract can allow notice to end on the 15th or last day of a month instead. Employees give one month's notice to the end of a month. | Angestelltengesetz (AngG) |
| Belgium | For contracts starting from 1 August 2026, employer notice is 1 week in the first six months, then 6 weeks (6–9 months), 7 (9–12 months), 8 (12–15 months), 9 (15–18 months), 10 (18–21 months), 11 (21–24 months), 12 (2–3 years), 13 (3–4 years), 15 (4–5 years), then 3 more weeks for each year up to 51 weeks (16–17 years), capped at 52 weeks from 17 years. | Délais de préavis: contrats ayant débuté à partir du 01/01/2014, licenciement |
| Brazil | 30 days for employees with up to 1 year of service, plus 3 days for each year of service with the company, up to a total of 90 days. | Lei nº 12.506/2011 (proportional notice) |
| Canada | After 3 months' continuous employment, written notice or pay in lieu: 1 week (under 1 year), 2 weeks (1 to under 3 years), then 1 week per year of service up to 8 weeks (8 years or more). During the notice period the employer cannot cut pay or change terms, must keep up benefit plan contributions, and must pay at least regular wages for a regular work week. Special rules apply when 50 or more employees are terminated within four weeks. Common-law reasonable notice can be much longer unless the contract validly limits it. | Your guide to the Employment Standards Act: Termination of employment |
| Denmark | Under the Salaried Employees Act, the employer must give 1 month's notice in the first 6 months and 3 months' notice after that, to the end of a month, rising by 1 month for every 3 years of employment up to 6 months. Notice must be given in writing. | Funktionærloven (LBK nr 1002 af 24/08/2017) |
| France | Except for serious misconduct, a dismissed employee is entitled to notice of 1 month after 6 months' continuous service and 2 months after 2 years. Below 6 months, notice is set by law, the collective agreement or local custom. | Labour Code (Code du travail) |
| Germany | The basic notice period is four weeks to the 15th or the end of a calendar month. For dismissal by the employer it rises with service, to the end of a calendar month: 1 month after 2 years, 2 months after 5, 3 after 8, 4 after 10, 5 after 12, 6 after 15 and 7 months after 20 years. | Civil Code (BGB) §§ 611a–630: employment contracts and notice |
| Hong Kong | No notice is needed in the first month of probation, and at least 7 days after it. After probation, under a continuous contract, notice is as agreed but at least 7 days, or at least 1 month if the contract is silent. Either side can pay wages in lieu of notice. | A Concise Guide to the Employment Ordinance |
| Ireland | After 13 weeks' service, the employer must give minimum notice of 1 week (under 2 years' service), 2 weeks (2–5 years), 4 weeks (5–10), 6 weeks (10–15) or 8 weeks (15 years or more). | Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Act 1973, Unfair Dismissals Act 1977 and Redundancy Payments Act 1967 (revised) |
| Italy | Set by the collective agreement by job level and length of service. Under the commerce and services agreement, employer notice of dismissal ranges from 15 to 60 calendar days with up to five years' service (levels VII to I and Quadri), 20 to 90 days with five to ten years, and 20 to 120 days beyond ten years. Pay in lieu of notice includes the 13th and 14th salary accruals. | CCNL Terziario, Distribuzione e Servizi (CNEL code H011) |
| Japan | A dismissal that lacks objectively reasonable grounds and is not appropriate in general societal terms is an abuse of rights and invalid. The employer must give at least 30 days' notice or 30 days' average wages in lieu (less notice if days are paid). | Labor Contract Act (Act No. 128 of 2007) |
| Malaysia | Notice is as set in the written contract, and the same for both sides. Without a written term, it is at least 4 weeks for less than 2 years' service, 6 weeks for 2 to 5 years and 8 weeks for 5 years or more. Either side can waive it. | Employment Act 1955 (Act 265), reprint as at 1 August 2023 |
| Netherlands | Employer notice is 1 month (under 5 years' service), 2 months (5–10 years), 3 months (10–15 years) or 4 months (15 years or more). Employee notice is 1 month. | Dutch Civil Code, Book 7, Title 10 (employment contracts) |
| New Zealand | There is no statutory minimum notice period. Notice is set by the employment agreement; if it doesn't specify one, reasonable notice must be given, generally seen as 2 to 4 weeks depending on the circumstances. | Giving notice |
| Norway | Unless longer notice is agreed in writing, notice is 1 month in the first 5 years and 2 months after 5 years. After 10 years it is 3 months, rising to 4, 5 and 6 months when the employer dismisses an employee aged 50, 55 and 60 or over. Notice normally runs from the first day of the following month. | Oppsigelse |
| Poland | For both open-ended and fixed-term contracts: 2 weeks with under 6 months' service, 1 month after 6 months and 3 months after 3 years with the employer. Notice must be given in writing, and an employer must state the reason when terminating either type of contract. | Labour Code (Kodeks pracy) |
| Singapore | As set in the contract, and the same length for employer and employee. If the contract is silent: 1 day (under 26 weeks' service), 1 week (26 weeks to under 2 years), 2 weeks (2 to under 5 years) or 4 weeks (5 years or more). Notice must be in writing; either side may pay salary in lieu of notice, or both may waive it in writing. No reason for termination is required. CPF is due on salary earned during the notice period but not on salary in lieu of notice. | Termination with notice |
| South Africa | At least 1 week (employed six months or less), 2 weeks (more than six months to one year) or 4 weeks (one year or more), given in writing. An employee can't be required to give longer notice than the employer, and the employer may pay salary instead of notice. | Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997 |
| South Korea | At least 30 days' notice, or at least 30 days' ordinary wages instead. This doesn't apply to employees with less than three months' continuous service, among other exceptions. | 근로기준법 (Labor Standards Act) |
| Sweden | At least one month for both sides. The employee is entitled to two months' notice after two years' service, three after four years, four after six years, five after eight years and six months after ten years. Pay and benefits continue during notice. | Lag (1982:80) om anställningsskydd (LAS) |
| Switzerland | After probation: 1 month in the first year of service, 2 months in years 2 to 9 and 3 months after that, each to the end of a month. They can be changed in writing, but reduced below 1 month only by collective agreement and only for the first year. | Obligationenrecht (OR), SR 220 |
| United Arab Emirates | Either side can end the contract for a legitimate reason with written notice of 30 to 90 days, during which full pay continues. When the employer gives notice, the employee may take one unpaid day a week to look for work. | Terminating employment contracts and arbitrary dismissal |
| United Kingdom | After one month's service, the employer must give at least one week's notice; from two years, one week per complete year of service, up to 12 weeks after 12 years. The employee must give at least one week. Contracts can set longer periods. | Employment Rights Act 1996, section 86 |
What is the minimum notice period in Germany?
What is the statutory notice period in the UK?
What notice period is required in the Netherlands?
What is the notice period in Australia?
Can an employer pay in lieu of notice?
- 1Argentina: Ley de Contrato de Trabajo (Law 20.744)
Argentina.gob.ar (InfoLEG)
Consolidated text including Law 27.802 (6 March 2026): trial period (art. 92 bis), aguinaldo (arts. 121–122), vacation (arts. 150–155), overtime (arts. 197 bis, 201), notice (arts. 231–233) and severance (art. 245).
- 2Australia: Dismissal: minimum notice period
Fair Work Ombudsman
NES minimum notice of 1–4 weeks by length of service, plus a week for employees over 45 with 2 years' service.
- 3Austria: Angestelltengesetz (AngG)
RIS (Bundeskanzleramt)
Sick pay (§ 8), probation (§ 19) and notice periods (§ 20) for salaried employees.
- 4Belgium: Délais de préavis: contrats ayant débuté à partir du 01/01/2014, licenciement
FPS Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue
Notice tables by seniority, including the 52-week cap for contracts from 1 June 2026 and the one-week first six months from 1 August 2026.
- 5Brazil: Lei nº 12.506/2011 (proportional notice)
Presidência da República (planalto.gov.br)
Art. 1: 30 days' notice plus 3 days per year of service, up to 90 days.
- 6Canada: Your guide to the Employment Standards Act: Termination of employment
Government of Ontario
Statutory notice of termination or pay in lieu.
- 7Denmark: Funktionærloven (LBK nr 1002 af 24/08/2017)
Retsinformation
Scope (§ 1), notice (§ 2), severance after 12 and 17 years (§ 2 a), unfair dismissal compensation (§ 2 b) and sickness (§ 5).
- 8France: Labour Code (Code du travail)
Légifrance
Current text of arts. L8241-1 (staff lending), L1221-2, L1242-8 and L1242-8-1 (CDI and CDD), L1221-19 and L1221-21 (probation), L3121-27 (35-hour week), L3141-3 (paid leave), L1234-1 (notice), L1232-1, L1234-9 and R1234-2 (dismissal and severance).
- 9Germany: Civil Code (BGB) §§ 611a–630: employment contracts and notice
gesetze-im-internet.de
§ 622: notice periods by length of service, two weeks during an agreed probation of up to six months, and permitted deviations.
- 10Hong Kong: A Concise Guide to the Employment Ordinance
Labour Department
Continuous contract (from 18 January 2026), statutory holidays (15 from 2026, 16 from 2028, 17 from 2030), annual leave, sickness allowance, notice, severance and long service payment, and the abolition of MPF offsetting from 1 May 2025.
- 11Ireland: Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Act 1973, Unfair Dismissals Act 1977 and Redundancy Payments Act 1967 (revised)
Law Reform Commission (Revised Acts)
Minimum notice (1973 Act s. 4), one year's service for unfair dismissal (1977 Act s. 2), redundancy after 104 weeks at two weeks' pay per year plus one week (1967 Act s. 7 and Schedule 3).
- 12Italy: CCNL Terziario, Distribuzione e Servizi (CNEL code H011)
CNEL – Archivio dei contratti collettivi
Consolidated text (Testo Unico 30 March 2015, as deposited with the 2019 renewal): probation (art. 121), 13th and 14th salaries (arts. 220–221), notice (arts. 247–248). These articles were not among those amended by the 22 March 2024 renewal.
- 13Japan: Labor Contract Act (Act No. 128 of 2007)
Japanese Law Translation (Ministry of Justice)
Article 16 (dismissal as an abuse of rights) and Article 18 (conversion to an open-ended contract after five years).
- 14Malaysia: Employment Act 1955 (Act 265), reprint as at 1 August 2023
Attorney General's Chambers (Laws of Malaysia)
Notice (s 12), maternity (s 37), hours (s 60A), holidays (s 60D), annual leave (s 60E), sick leave (s 60F), paternity (s 60FA), and the RM4,000 exclusions in First Schedule para 1A.
- 15Netherlands: Dutch Civil Code, Book 7, Title 10 (employment contracts)
wetten.overheid.nl
Arts. 7:629 (sick pay), 7:634 (leave), 7:652 (probation), 7:668a (chain rule), 7:669–7:671b (dismissal), 7:672 (notice) and 7:673 (transition payment).
- 16New Zealand: Giving notice
Employment New Zealand (MBIE)
Notice is set by the employment agreement; without one, reasonable notice applies, generally 2 to 4 weeks.
- 17Norway: Oppsigelse
Arbeidstilsynet (Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority)
Notice periods by length of service and age; 14 days during probation.
- 18Poland: Labour Code (Kodeks pracy)
Internetowy System Aktów Prawnych (ISAP)
Unified text as of 14 Oct 2026 (t.j. Dz. U. 2026 poz. 1245): probation (art. 25), fixed-term limits (art. 25¹), written form (art. 29), termination and reasons (art. 30), notice (art. 36), working time (art. 129), overtime (art. 151¹), annual leave (arts. 154–155).
- 19Singapore: Termination with notice
Ministry of Manpower
Notice periods when the contract doesn't specify one.
- 20South Africa: Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997
South African Government
Department of Labour consolidated text as amended to 2002: hours (s9), overtime (s10), Sunday and holiday pay (ss16, 18), annual leave (s20), sick leave (s22), notice (s37) and severance (s41).
- 21South Korea: 근로기준법 (Labor Standards Act)
Ministry of Government Legislation (law.go.kr)
Scope (art. 11), dismissal (arts. 23, 24, 26, 27), working hours (arts. 50, 53), holidays (art. 55), premiums (art. 56) and annual leave (art. 60). English translation on elaw.klri.re.kr.
- 22Sweden: Lag (1982:80) om anställningsskydd (LAS)
Sveriges riksdag
Sections 4–5 a (forms of employment and conversion), 6 (probation), 7 (objective grounds), 11 (notice periods) and 22 (order of selection).
- 23Switzerland: Obligationenrecht (OR), SR 220
Fedlex (Swiss federal law)
Arts. 321c (overtime), 324a (sick pay), 329a (holidays), 329f–329g (maternity and other-parent leave), 335b–335c (probation and notice), 336c (protected periods). Stand am 1. Oktober 2026.
- 24United Arab Emirates: Terminating employment contracts and arbitrary dismissal
The Official Portal of the UAE Government (u.ae)
Articles 42–47: termination cases, 30–90 days' notice, summary dismissal, arbitrary dismissal compensation up to 3 months' wages.
- 25