Notice period when resigning — 2026 guide

What notice is — and why it exists

The notice period is the gap between submitting the resignation and the actual termination of the employment contract. Its purpose is to give the employer time to reorganize, find a replacement and have work handed over — and to give the employee time to wind down professionally.

The Labor Code regulates notice symmetrically — it applies both to the employee (Art. 326) and to the employer (Art. 328(1)). Both have the same minimum: 30 days on an open-ended contract.

Periods

Important: the period runs from the day after the day on which the notice is served, not from the date of service itself (Art. 326(4) LC).

How to submit notice

Under Art. 326(1) LC notice must be in writing. Oral arrangements have no legal effect. The minimum contents are:

• Your full name and position;
• The employer's name and address;
• The text: "I am giving notice to terminate my employment contract under Art. 326 LC. Notice period: 30 days. Last working day: [date]";
• Date and your signature.

Service is by signature of an officer (HR, director) or by registered mail with return receipt. We recommend keeping a copy with the incoming registration number.

To: [Employer name]
[Address]

NOTICE OF RESIGNATION
under Art. 326(1) Labor Code

From: [Full name], national ID [...],
position [...],
employment contract No. [...] of [date]

Dear Mr/Mrs [...],

I hereby give notice to terminate my
employment contract under Art. 326(1) Labor Code.

Notice period: 30 days.
Last working day: [date].

Please ensure I receive all compensation due,
including Art. 224 LC for unused paid annual leave.

Date: [...]
Signature: [...]

Last working day

The notice period starts on the day after the day of service. The last working day is the day the period expires.

When you can resign without notice — Art. 327 LC

Art. 327 LC allows resignation without notice in cases of employer fault. In that hypothesis the employee is also entitled to compensation under Art. 221(1) LC — gross for the notice period.

Main cases under Art. 327 LC

• Delayed pay or compensation — in whole or in part;
• Change in the place or nature of the work without the employee's consent;
• Change in the agreed working time (by more than 1 hour per day), without consent;
• Breach of work-safety conditions;
• Delayed delivery of an employment characteristic, certificate or reference;
• Relocation to another town without consent;
• Forced labor.

A notice under Art. 327 LC must explicitly state the ground (which paragraph) and include a brief factual description. Without grounds, the termination is treated as ordinary Art. 326 — and no Art. 221 compensation is owed.

Early release from the notice

The employer can release the employee in writing before the notice period ends. In that case the employee is entitled to compensation under Art. 220(2) LC — gross for the period during which the employee could not work. So:

• You give notice on 1 March, period 30 days (to 30 March);
• The employer releases you on 15 March;
• You are owed gross for 15 days (16–30 March) as compensation under Art. 220(2).

This is common for senior employees — for business reasons (preventing access to data, smooth succession).

Leave during the notice period

The employee can use accrued paid annual leave during the notice period. The employer cannot refuse without grounds. If the employer refuses, the employee is entitled to compensation under Art. 224 LC for the unused leave on the day of termination.

Using leave during the notice does not extend the notice period — the leave is taken inside the 30 days.

Frequently asked questions