Minimum Notice
The shortest period of notice an employer must give before terminating employment, set by law.
Minimum notice is the legally required period of warning an employer must give an employee before ending their employment, distinct from any longer contractual notice. It gives employees time to adjust and seek new work.
In Ireland, the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Act sets a sliding scale based on continuous service, from one week for shorter service up to eight weeks for the longest-serving employees. Employees, in turn, must generally give at least one week's notice once they have thirteen weeks' service.
Where a contract specifies longer notice, the more favourable term applies. Employers who fail to give correct notice may face claims, so payroll and offboarding processes should build in the correct entitlement.
