How long is my notice period, and do I get severance?
At least a month — and at least two once you have a year with the employer. The basic notice period under the Labour Code is at least 1 month. If, on the day the notice is served, the employment has lasted at least 1 year, it extends to at least 2 months. Where notice is given on organisational or health grounds and the employment has lasted at least 5 years, it is at least 3 months. Severance is not automatic: it is due where employment ends on organisational grounds (redundancy, for instance) or on health grounds, and the amount depends on length of service. On termination by agreement on those grounds it is 1× average monthly earnings under 2 years, 2× from 2 to 5, 3× from 5 to 10, 4× from 10 to 20 and 5× above 20 years.
📋 The rules
- Basic notice period: at least 1 month
- After 1 year with the employer: at least 2 months
- Organisational/health grounds and 5+ years: 3 months
- Severance is due on organisational and health grounds
- The amount rises with length of service
🔓 Exceptions
- Notice on other statutory grounds carries no severance entitlement
- The notice period starts on the first day of the month following service
- Severance and retirement allowance are two different things
⚠️ Penalties & fines
The commonest misconception is that everyone gets severance. They do not. It arises where employment ends on organisational grounds — the employer closing, relocating, or making the role redundant — or on health grounds. On notice given for other statutory reasons, such as a breach of work discipline, no entitlement arises. The second error concerns when the clock starts: the notice period does not begin on the day the notice is served, but on the first day of the following month. If the employer fails to observe the notice period or does not pay the severance, that breaches the Labour Code — take it to the labour inspectorate, and the claim can also be pursued in court.
📎 Official sources
- Slov-Lex · Labour Code (Act 311/2001) →
- National Labour Inspectorate →
- Ministry of Labour · Employment relations →
❓ Frequently asked
How long is the notice period?
At least one month. If the employment had lasted at least a year on the day notice was served, it extends to at least two months. On organisational or health grounds with five or more years of service, it is at least three months.
When am I entitled to severance?
Where employment ends on organisational grounds — the employer closing, relocating, or making the role redundant — or on health grounds. Notice given for other statutory reasons, such as a disciplinary breach, carries no entitlement.
How much is severance?
It depends on length of service. On termination by agreement on those grounds it is one month's average earnings under two years, two months up to five, three up to ten, four up to twenty and five above twenty years.
When does the notice period start?
Not on the day the notice is served, but on the first day of the following month. It is a common error — notice served on 20 March means the period only starts running on 1 April.
What if my employer does not pay the severance?
That breaches the Labour Code. Take it to the labour inspectorate, which can sanction the employer, and you can also pursue the claim in court as an action for payment.
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