Termination Notice

Get the information you need for dealing with involuntary employee termination. In this guide, you'll find information on notice periods by province.

What is termination notice?

When an employer ends the employment of an employee who has been continuously employed beyond a minimum period, the employer must provide the employee with either written notice of termination, termination pay, or a combination thereof. The minimum period and the termination notice period vary depending on province or territory.

Additional Resources

2024 Termination Notice Periods by Province

The following table outlines the required termination notice by province or territory based on employment tenure:

Jurisdiction
Termination Notice Period
Federal
Less than three months: None
More than three months: Two weeks or two weeks in pay
Up to 90 days: None
90 days to 2 years: 1 week
2 to 4 years: 2 weeks
4 to 6 years: 4 weeks
6 to 8 years: 5 weeks
8 to 10 years: 6 weeks
10 years or more: 8 weeks
Up to 3 months: None
3 months to 1 year: 1 week
After 1 year: 2 weeks
After 3 years: 3 weeks, plus a week for each additional year of employment to a maximum of 8 weeks
30 days but less than 1 year: 1 week
1 year but less than 3 years: 2 weeks
3 years but less than 5 years: 4 weeks
5 years but less than 10 years: 6 weeks
10 years or more: 8 weeks
Less than 6 months: None
6 months to 5 years: 2 weeks in writing or 2 weeks in pay
5 years or more: 4 weeks in writing or 4 weeks in pay
Less than 3 months: None
3 months to 2 years: 1 week
2 to 5 years: 2 weeks
5 to 10 years: 3 weeks
10 to 15 years: 4 weeks
15 years or more: 6 weeks
Less than 90 days: None
90 days but less than 3 years: 2 weeks
3 years but less than 4 years: 3 weeks
4 years but less than 5 years: 4 weeks
5 years but less than 6 years: 5 weeks
6 years but less than 7 years: 6 weeks
7 years but less than 8 years: 7 weeks
8 years or more: 8 weeks
Less than 3 months: None
3 months but less than 2 years: 1 week in writing or 1 week in pay
2 years but less than 5 years: 2 weeks in writing or 2 weeks in pay
5 years but less than 10 years: 4 weeks in writing or 4 weeks in pay
10 years or more: 8 weeks in writing or 8 weeks in pay
Less than 90 days: None
90 days but less than 3 years: 2 weeks
3 years but less than 4 years: 3 weeks
4 years but less than 5 years: 4 weeks
5 years but less than 6 years: 5 weeks
6 years but less than 7 years: 6 weeks
7 years but less than 8 years: 7 weeks
8 years or more: 8 weeks
Less than 3 months: None
3 months but less than 1 year: 1 week
1 year but less than 3 years: 2 weeks
3 years but less than 4 years: 3 weeks
4 years but less than 5 years: 4 weeks
5 years but less than 6 years: 5 weeks
6 years but less than 7 years: 6 weeks
7 years but less than 8 years: 7 weeks
8 years or more: 8 weeks
Less than 6 months: None
6 months to 5 years: 2 weeks
5 to 10 years: 4 weeks
10 to 15 years: 6 weeks
15 years or more: 8 weeks
Less than 3 months: None
3 months to 1 year: 1 week
1 to 5 years: 2 weeks
5 to 10 years: 4 weeks
10 years or more: 8 weeks
Up to 13 weeks: None
13 weeks to 1 year: 1 week
1 to 3 years: 2 weeks
3 to 5 years: 4 weeks
5 to 10 years: 6 weeks
10 years or more: 8 weeks
Less than 6 months: None
6 months but less than 1 year: 1 week
1 year but less than 3 years: 2 weeks
3 years but less than 4 years: 3 weeks
4 years but less than 5 years: 4 weeks
5 years but less than 6 years: 5 weeks
6 years but less than 7 years: 6 weeks
7 years but less than 8 years: 7 weeks
8 years or more: 8 weeks
Disclaimer: The information provided in this guide is for informational purposes only. It is not professional financial or legal advice nor is it intended to be a substitute therefore. Where there are discrepancies between the guide and information provided by the federal government, provincial government, or the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) or Revenu Québec, defer to the guidelines provided by the governing agencies.

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