Minimum notice by length of service
| Period of service | Minimum notice |
|---|---|
| Between 13 weeks and 2 years | 1 week |
| Between 2 and 5 years | 2 weeks |
| Between 5 and 10 years | 4 weeks |
| Between 10 and 15 years | 6 weeks |
| Over 15 years | 8 weeks |
The bands are minimums. Your contract can promise longer notice and then the contract wins. Citizens Information gives the example of 5 years and 3 months of service: that falls in the 5 to 10 year band, so 4 weeks’ notice. Under 13 weeks of service there is no statutory notice entitlement.
Notice pay and redundancy pay together
Notice is separate from the redundancy lump sum. You get both. The table puts the two side by side for common lengths of service, using the statutory formula of 2 weeks per year plus 1 week and the €600weekly cap for the redundancy part. Notice pay is your normal pay for the notice weeks and is not capped.
| Service | Minimum notice | Redundancy weeks | Redundancy at €600+ a week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 years | 2 weeks | 5 weeks | €3,000 |
| 3 years | 2 weeks | 7 weeks | €4,200 |
| 5 years | 4 weeks | 11 weeks | €6,600 |
| 10 years | 6 weeks | 21 weeks | €12,600 |
| 15 years | 8 weeks | 31 weeks | €18,600 |
| 20 years | 8 weeks | 41 weeks | €24,600 |
Example: 10 years of service at €700 a week. Notice is 6 weeks at the full €700, so €4,200 through payroll, taxed as pay. Redundancy is 21 weeks at the capped €600, so €12,600, tax-free. Run your own figures in the redundancy calculator.
How notice must be given
- In writing, when your employer tells you that you are being made redundant.
- With a termination date. The notice period runs from the day you get written notice with a finishing date. It does not run from the day you were told your job is “at risk”.
- Paid. Normal pay and conditions continue to the end of the notice period.
Not working your notice: pay in lieu
Your employer can tell you that you do not have to work the notice period. You still get the same paid notice, in one of two forms:
- You are paid as usual until the end of the notice period without coming to work.
- You get all the notice pay at once and the job ends immediately. This is pay in lieu of notice.
Tax follows the contract. Revenue’s rule is that pay in lieu of notice provided for in your employment contract is taxable as pay, with no exemptions. If the contract says nothing about it, the amount can be included in your termination lump sum and may qualify for the exemptions covered in redundancy and tax.
Leaving before the notice ends
If you find another job and want to go early, you complete form RP6 and give it to your employer. The employer can agree or refuse. If they refuse and you leave anyway, your entitlement to the redundancy payment can be affected. Get the agreement in writing before you hand in your badge.
Your rights during the notice period
- Paid time off to look for a new job during the last 2 weeks of notice. Your employer may ask for proof that you used the time for job-hunting.
- Outstanding holidays. You can take them during notice. If you cannot, you are paid in lieu of the holidays.
- After lay-off or short-time. If you were laid off or on short-time and the employer then makes you redundant, they must reactivate your contract and you get the full notice period.
If the notice is wrong or unpaid
Start informally with your employer. If that fails, complain to the Workplace Relations Commission using its online complaint form. The time limit is 6 months, extendable to 12 months where you can show reasonable cause for the delay.
Frequently asked questions
How much notice do I get if I am made redundant in Ireland?
At least 1 week with 13 weeks to 2 years of service, 2 weeks with 2 to 5 years, 4 weeks with 5 to 10 years, 6 weeks with 10 to 15 years and 8 weeks with over 15 years. Your contract can give more, never less. Someone with 5 years and 3 months of service gets 4 weeks.
Does the notice period start when I am told I am at risk of redundancy?
No. It starts only when your employer gives you written notice with a termination date. A warning that your job is at risk does not start the clock.
Is notice pay on top of statutory redundancy?
Yes. Notice pay, or pay in lieu of notice, is a separate entitlement and is added to the statutory redundancy lump sum of 2 weeks per year of service plus 1 week (weekly pay capped at €600).
Is pay in lieu of notice taxed?
If your contract provides for pay in lieu of notice, Revenue treats it as normal pay and taxes it in full. If the contract does not provide for it, the amount can be included in your termination lump sum and may qualify for the tax-free exemptions.
Can I leave before my notice period ends?
You can ask, using form RP6, but your employer decides. If your employer does not agree and you leave anyway, it may affect your entitlement to a redundancy payment.
Sources: notice bands, the 5 years 3 months example, written notice, pay in lieu, form RP6, time off to job-hunt, holidays, lay-off and the WRC time limits from citizensinformation.ie, Redundancy notice periods (page edited 11 August 2026); tax treatment of pay in lieu of notice from revenue.ie, Lump sum payments (published 24 April 2026). Both read on 22 September 2026.