Summary dismissal only for good cause · otherwise 1, 2 or 3 months to a month-end

Updated July 2026

📄 Can my employer fire me overnight?

With conditions

Quick answer

Only for «good cause» — otherwise no. Summary dismissal requires circumstances in which continuing the employment can no longer be expected in good faith (§ 1173a Art. 53 ABGB). Otherwise the ordinary notice periods apply: 1 month in the first year of service, 2 months from the second to the ninth, 3 months from the tenth — always to the end of a month (Art. 45c). The most common misconception: «a dismissal is only valid in writing». Wrong — Liechtenstein employment law requires no written form; an oral dismissal takes effect. Only the reasons must be given in writing, and only on request. And illness can never be good cause.

📋 The rules

Notice periods (§ 1173a Art. 45c ABGB): after probation, 1 month in the first year of service, 2 months in years 2–9, 3 months thereafter — always to a month-end. Departures only in writing; below one month only through a collective agreement, and only in the first year.
Probation: by law the first month, with 7 days' notice to the end of a working week. It can be extended by written agreement or collective agreement to a maximum of 3 months (Art. 45b).
No different periods may be agreed for employer and employee. If the contract says otherwise, the longer period applies to both (Art. 45a).
Summary dismissal only for good cause (Art. 53). The court may never accept an inability to work through no fault of your own — illness or accident — as good cause (para. 3).
Unjustified summary dismissal (Art. 56): you are entitled to everything you would have earned until the ordinary termination date, plus compensation of up to 6 months' pay awarded by the court. Abusive ordinary dismissal: also up to 6 months' pay (Art. 47).

🔓 Exceptions

Protected periods (Art. 49): after probation the employer may not give notice while you are ill or injured through no fault of your own — 30 days in the first year of service, 90 days from the second, 180 days from the sixth — nor during pregnancy and 16 weeks after the birth. Notice given within a protected period is void.
Severance (Art. 62–64): only if you are at least 50 at termination and have 20 years of service — then between 2 and 8 months' pay. But it falls away to the extent the occupational pension scheme pays benefits exceeding the employee contributions: in practice the claim usually comes to nothing.
Fixed-term contracts: they end without notice; after 10 years they can be terminated on 6 months' notice (Art. 44 para. 3). Chains of contracts are limited to 3 renewals or 5 years in total (Art. 44a).

⚠️ Penalties & fines

The trap here is in the deadlines, not the fines: to challenge an abusive dismissal you must object in writing by the end of the notice period and file suit within 180 days of termination — otherwise the claim is forfeited (Art. 48). The second harm: if you walk out without notice, you owe the employer a quarter of a month's pay (Art. 57), and unemployment insurance suspends your entitlement for self-inflicted unemployment (Art. 38 ALVG). We publish no number of suspension days — the Act says only: according to the degree of fault. The «60 days» circulating online is Swiss practice.

📎 Official sources

Last verified: 2026-07-12

❓ Frequently asked

Does a dismissal have to be in writing?

No — Liechtenstein employment law has no written-form requirement, so an oral dismissal is effective. Only the reasons must be supplied in writing, and only if the other party asks for them.

How long is my notice period?

One month in the first year of service, two months from the second to the ninth, three from the tenth — always to the end of a month (§ 1173a Art. 45c ABGB). Your contract or collective agreement may set longer periods.

Can I be dismissed while I am ill?

Not during the protected period: 30 days in the first year of service, 90 from the second, 180 from the sixth. Notice given in that window is void, and illness is never good cause for summary dismissal.

What do I get for an unjustified summary dismissal?

Everything you would have earned until the ordinary termination date, plus court-awarded compensation of up to six months' pay (Art. 56). An abusive ordinary dismissal carries the same ceiling.

What happens with unemployment benefit if I resign on the spot?

Your entitlement is suspended for self-inflicted unemployment (Art. 38 ALVG), for a period set by the degree of fault. The Act names no fixed number of days — the 60 days often quoted comes from Switzerland.

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