Legal Q&A · Employment Law & HR

How long is the notice period, and when does it start?

Law as at 21 July 2026

Answered by , Czech and Slovak attorney, admitted to the Slovak and Czech Bars (SAK 300422 · ČAK 19654).

Short answer

The notice period is at least one month. If employment has lasted at least one year when notice is served, it increases to at least two months; for notice on organisational or health grounds after at least five years of employment, it is at least three months. The notice period always starts on the first day of the calendar month following service of notice.

How long is the notice period?

Section 62 of the Labour Code (No. 311/2001 Coll.) determines its duration according to the reason for notice and length of employment. In simplified terms:

  • 1 month: the basic period where employment lasted less than a year (Section 62(2));
  • 2 months: where employment has lasted at least one year when notice is served (Section 62(3) and (4));
  • 3 months: for notice on organisational grounds (closure or relocation of the employer, redundancy under Section 63(1)(a) and (b)) or health grounds, where employment lasted at least five years (Section 62(3)(b)).

If an employee gives notice after at least one year of employment, the notice period is also at least two months (Section 62(6)). Immediately consecutive fixed-term employment relationships count towards the length of employment (paragraph 5).

When does the notice period run?

The notice period does not start on service: it starts on the first day of the calendar month following service and ends on the last day of the relevant month (Section 62(7)). If notice is served on 10 March, a two-month period therefore runs from 1 April to 31 May.

What to watch for

Notice must be in writing and served, otherwise it is invalid. An employer may give notice only on statutory grounds, which must be specified through the relevant facts (Section 61). If the employee does not remain during the notice period, the employer is entitled to monetary compensation only if agreed in writing in the employment contract (Section 62(8)). We prepare and review notice through our termination of employment service; if notice was given invalidly, we help with invalid termination. Proper contracts and service arrangements are fundamental and form part of our employment contracts and documentation service.

This answer provides general information on the law as at 21 July 2026. It does not constitute legal services or replace an assessment of an individual case. The details of your situation may differ. Book a consultation to discuss them.

More legal questions

All questions and answers
  1. Can my wife or son help in the business without an employment contract? Yes, but only within a narrow exception. A direct-line relative, sibling or spouse may help an individual entrepreneur or a family s.r.o. with no more than two related members without a contract. The helper must also have pension insurance, receive a pension, or be a pupil or student under 26. Outside these conditions, the work is illegal employment carrying a fine from EUR 4,000.
  2. We registered an employee with the Social Insurance Agency late. Is this illegal employment? Not necessarily. Illegal employment arises only if you fail to register the employee within seven days after the deadline; registration before an inspection starts protects the company from this consequence. If the inspection precedes registration, the inspectorate must impose a fine. The delay itself may attract a less severe Social Insurance Agency fine.
  3. Are we liable if our supplier employs people illegally? You may be, in two ways. The law prohibits accepting work or services supplied through illegally employed people, for all supplies of labour and longer cross-border service provision; the customer faces a fine of up to EUR 200,000. If a statutory representative or managerial employee is proved to have known of the supplier's practices, a fine that could not be recovered from the supplier may also pass to the company. Protection comes from documents the supplier must provide by law and a properly drafted contract.
  4. We hired a third-country national. What must we report to the labour office, and when? Notify the labour office for the place of work in writing when employment starts and ends, each within seven working days; attach a copy of the employment contract when reporting the start. You must also report that the foreign national did not start on the agreed date, which companies most often forget. Breach of reporting duties may attract a fine of up to EUR 100,000.

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Mgr. Patrik Tulinský, LL.M. Czech and Slovak attorney · SAK 300422 · ČAK 19654

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