Notice periods

If an employee gives notice

When an employee gives notice, special periods of notice are in place as outlined in the collective agreement for government employees (Villkorsavtalet). If the employment period has been one year or less, the notice period is one month. If the employment period has been longer than one year, the notice period is two months. The employment period comprises one or more consecutive appointments in the public sector.

This applies if the employee has a permanent position. If an employee is on a leave of absence, the same notice period applies as if the employee were active in their position. During the probationary period of employment, employees have a statutory right to terminate their employment before the end of the agreed probationary period. 

An employee with a higher level of employment protection (fullmaktsanställda) has a six-month notice period. This also applies for professors employed after 1 October 2001.

Termination by the employer

In the event of termination by the employer, longer notice periods apply than when an employee gives notice. If the employment period has been one year or less, the notice period is one month. If the employment period has been longer than one year, the notice period is three months. The employment period comprises one or more consecutive appointments in the public sector.

In some cases, however, longer notice periods apply in accordance with Section 11, Paragraph 2 of the Employment Protection Act (LAS).

Longer notice periods under the Job Transition Agreement

The Job Transition Agreement and the Agreement on local job transition funding replaced the Job Security Agreement on 1 January 2015. In the event of termination due to redundancy, the employee is entitled to a longer notice period under the Job Transition Agreement than what is stipulated in LAS or the central collective agreement. The total period of notice together with the extended notice period in this agreement may be for a maximum of 12 months.

When calculating the period of employment as per LAS, all employment periods in the public sector are to be included.

Period of employment - total notice period 

(a) Include consecutive employment periods under the central collective agreements that apply to public sector employees.

(b) Include all employment periods in the public sector.

• Employment for less than one year (a): 1 month 
• Employment for at least one year (a): 4 months
• Employment for at least two years (a): 5 months
• Employment for at least three years (a): 6 months
• Employment for at least six years (b): 8 months 
• Employment for at least eight years (b): 10 months
• Employment for at least ten years (b): 12 months

Termination of fixed-term employment

Fixed-term employment is most often “no longer than” employment, i.e. employment for an indefinite period of time but for no longer than a certain date. In this case, the same notice periods apply as for permanent employment if the employer or employee wishes to terminate the employment earlier than the date specified in the contract. As with permanent positions, the employer must have objective grounds for termination.

Notice to employees on parental leave

If an employee is on parental leave in accordance with Section 4 or 5 of the Parental Leave Act and is made redundant, the notice period begins:

• when the employee has returned to work either full-time or part-time, or
• when the employee would have returned to work in accordance with the notification of parental leave that applies when the employee is made redundant. 

Compulsory retirement 

Read more on the page Termination of employment on grounds of age