This table shows the statutory minimum notice an employer owes when ending employment, plus the severance formula that usually comes with it, for 25 countries. The figures come from the statutory dataset behind our country guides. Where notice scales with tenure, we show the full range; the per-country guide has the exact tiers.
| Country | Statutory notice (employer side) | Severance formula | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 15-60 days by tenure | 1 month's salary per year of service | Argentina guide |
| Brazil | 30-33 days by tenure | 40% penalty on the FGTS fund balance | Brazil guide |
| Canada | 7-30 days by tenure (provincial minimums) | Varies by province; common-law notice can exceed statute | Canada guide |
| Chile | 30 days | 1 month per year, capped at 11 months | Chile guide |
| Colombia | 15 days | Indemnity based on salary level and tenure | Colombia guide |
| Germany | 28-210 days by tenure | Not statutory; ~0.5 month per year is common in agreements | Germany guide |
| Ghana | 7-30 days by tenure | Varies (see guide) | Ghana guide |
| India | 30 days | Gratuity: 15 days' wages per year, after 5 years' service | India guide |
| Indonesia | 7-14 days by tenure | Up to 9 months' salary plus long-service pay | Indonesia guide |
| Italy | 30-60 days by tenure | TFR: roughly one month's salary per year, always payable | Italy guide |
| Kenya | 30 days | 15 days' pay per year of service (redundancy) | Kenya guide |
| Mexico | No statutory notice | 3 months' salary plus 20 days per year of service | Mexico guide |
| Nepal | 1-30 days by tenure | 1 month per year, after 1 year of service | Nepal guide |
| Netherlands | 30-120 days by tenure | Transition payment: 1/3 month per year, capped | Netherlands guide |
| Nigeria | 7-90 days by tenure | Varies (see guide) | Nigeria guide |
| Pakistan | 30 days | 30 days' salary per year of service | Pakistan guide |
| Peru | 30 days | 1.5 months per year for unjust dismissal, capped at 12 months | Peru guide |
| Philippines | 30 days | 1 month, or 0.5 month per year, whichever is higher (authorized causes) | Philippines guide |
| Rwanda | 15-30 days by tenure | 2-7x monthly salary, scaled by tenure | Rwanda guide |
| Singapore | 30 days | Not statutory; 2 weeks to 1 month per year is the retrenchment norm | Singapore guide |
| South Africa | 7-28 days by tenure | 1 week per year of service (retrenchment only) | South Africa guide |
| Switzerland | 7-90 days by tenure | Varies (see guide) | Switzerland guide |
| United Arab Emirates | 30 days | End-of-service gratuity: 21-30 days per year, capped at 2 years' salary | UAE guide |
| Uganda | 0-90 days by tenure (none under 6 months) | Circumstance-based; no standard formula | Uganda guide |
| United Kingdom | 7-84 days by tenure | Statutory redundancy after 2 years, age-banded weekly pay | UK guide |
What stands out
Notice is the small number; severance is the real cost. Mexico requires no notice at all, but a without-cause termination costs 3 months' salary plus 20 days per year of service, one of the most expensive exits on the list. Argentina and Chile both owe a month per year of service. Budget the severance, not the notice.
Tenure changes everything in Europe. Germany starts at 4 weeks and stretches to 7 months for long-tenured employees, and the Netherlands scales to 4 months. Ending a 10-year employment in either country is a multi-month project, and Germany layers strong dismissal protection on top after just 6 months of service.
Some severance is prefunded, which changes the math. Brazil makes employers deposit 8% of salary into the FGTS fund every month; the termination penalty is 40% of that balance. Italy's TFR accrues about a month's salary per year and is payable no matter why the employment ends, even resignation. In these countries severance is not a surprise bill, it is a monthly line item you already paid.
"No statutory severance" does not mean free. Canada looks mild on paper, but common-law reasonable notice regularly exceeds the provincial minimums by a wide margin. In Singapore and Germany, market norms and settlement agreements fill the gap the statute leaves open.
Figures come from our compliance dataset as of August 2026. Statutory rules change, notice can differ for resignation versus dismissal, and most countries add procedural requirements before notice even starts. Check the per-country guide, and get local advice before terminating anyone.
FAQ
Which country has the longest notice period? Germany. Statutory employer notice starts at 4 weeks and rises to about 7 months for employees with very long tenure. The Netherlands is next, scaling to 4 months. See the Germany guide and Netherlands guide.
Which countries let you terminate without notice? Mexico has no statutory notice requirement, and Uganda requires none in the first 6 months. Neither is cheap: Mexico substitutes one of the heaviest severance formulas on this list. Details in the Mexico guide and Uganda guide.
Can I pay salary instead of having the employee work the notice? In most of these countries yes, payment in lieu of notice is standard practice (Chile even notes it as the norm). But some countries require the labor authority or a due process step first, so check the specific guide before you act.
Do notice periods apply to contractors? No. Contractor relationships end according to the contract you both signed, not employment statute. That is one of the practical differences between contractors and employees, and each country guide covers the misclassification line that separates them.