Notice period by country
Last reviewed: 7 November 2026
Notice period compared across countries: Notice from the employee, notice from the employer, longer notice for long service, probation period, severance pay. Pick a country for the full list of rules, each with its official source.
| Country | Notice from the employee | Notice from the employer | Longer notice for long service | Probation period | Severance pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 4 weeks, to 15th or month end | 4 weeks, to 15th or month end | 1 month (2 yrs) to 7 months (20 yrs) | 2 weeks' notice, up to 6 months | Only if offered: 0.5 month's pay per year |
| Netherlands | 1 month | 1 month (under 5 years' service) | 2 to 4 months (5+ years' service) | 2 months | 1/3 monthly wage per year; max EUR 102,000 |
| United Kingdom | Notice period, Great Britain: 1 week | Notice period, Great Britain: 1 week (under 2 years' service) | Notice period, Great Britain: 1 week per year; 12 weeks from 12 years | Notice period, Great Britain: ⚠ Not yet verified | Notice period, Great Britain: Redundancy: 1/2 to 1 1/2 weeks' pay per year |
| Spain | Set by agreement or custom | 15 days (objective dismissal) | ⚠ Not yet verified | 2 months; 6 for technicians | 20 days/yr objective; 33 unfair |
| Ireland | 1 week | 1 week (under 2 years' service) | 2 to 8 weeks (2 to 15+ years) | 6 months (12 exceptionally) | Redundancy: 2 weeks' pay per year plus 1 |
| Portugal | 30 or 60 days | 15 days+ (collective/post cut) | 15/30/60/75 days by service | 90/180/240 days | 14 days/yr (collective dismissal) |
| Sweden | 1 month minimum | 1 month minimum | 2 months (2 yrs) to 6 months (10 yrs) | Up to 6 months | ⚠ Not yet verified |
| Austria | 1 month, to the end of a month | 6 weeks, to quarter end | 2 months (after 2 yrs) to 5 months (25 yrs) | 1 month, either side can end at any time | ⚠ Not yet verified |
| Switzerland | 1 to 3 months, to month end (same as employer) | 1 month in year 1, to month end | 2 months (yrs 2-9), 3 months after | 1 month (max 3), 7 days' notice | Age 50+ and 20+ years: min 2 months' pay |
| Denmark | 1 month | 1 month (first 6 months) | 3 months, up to 6 months | Up to 3 months (14 days' notice) | 1 month (12 years); 3 months (17 years) |
| Czechia | At least 2 months | At least 2 months | ⚠ Not yet verified | Max 4 months (managers 8) | 1-3 months' average pay by service |
| Hungary | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days + 5 to 60 days with service | Up to 3 months | 1 month (3 yrs) to 6 months (25 yrs) |
| Finland | 14 days (1 month after 5 years) | 14 days (up to 1 year) | 1 to 6 months by service | 6 months | ⚠ Not yet verified |
| Norway | 14 days in probation; contract states the rest | 1 month (under 5 years' service) | 2 to 6 months by service and age | 6 months | ⚠ Not yet verified |
| New Zealand | Agreement notice, else reasonable (generally 2-4 weeks) | Agreement notice, else reasonable (generally 2-4 weeks) | No fixed scale; length of service is one factor | Trial max 90 days; probation any reasonable length | No statutory redundancy pay |
| Turkey | 2-8 weeks by service, same as employer | 2-8 weeks by service, or pay in advance | 2 / 4 / 6 / 8 weeks by length of service | 2 months; 4 by collective agreement | ⚠ Not yet verified |
General information, not legal advice. Rules change: check the official source before you fly or ride.