Termination notice (statutory notice)

Termination notice is the minimum written warning, or pay in lieu, that employment standards law requires before you end someone's job.

Also called: statutory notice, notice of termination, minimum notice

What termination notice (statutory notice) means

Statutory termination notice is the minimum amount of advance warning the law says you must give before you end an employee's employment without cause. It is set by your province's employment standards law, or by the Canada Labour Code for federally regulated employers.

You can meet the obligation by giving written notice of the last day, by paying the employee what they would have earned during the notice period (pay in lieu), or by combining the two. The amount grows with length of service, to a maximum of 8 weeks in most jurisdictions (6 in Newfoundland and Labrador).

These are minimums. A contract can promise more, never less.

How it works

First, check whether notice is owed at all. Each jurisdiction sets a point, for example 3 months in Ontario or 90 days in Alberta, before which no statutory notice is required. After that point, find the employee's completed length of service on your province's scale.

Notice must be in writing and should state the last day of work. Working notice is ordinary employment: the employee keeps working and is paid as usual until the last day. If you pay in lieu instead, pay it by your province's final pay deadline.

Statutory notice is only part of the picture. Federal and Ontario rules can add severance pay, group terminations have separate rules, and common-law reasonable notice can be higher when no valid contract limits it.

Notice is generally not owed for just cause or for some seasonal, fixed-term or construction arrangements, but these exceptions are narrow and differ by province.

Termination notice (statutory notice) by province

Every jurisdiction has its own scale. These are the minimums once the employee has passed the starting point.

Where the work is done	The rule
Federal	2 weeks after 3 months; 3 weeks at 3 years, then 1 more week per completed year, to 8 weeks at 8 years. Severance pay may also be owed after 12 months.
British Columbia	1 week after 3 consecutive months; 2 weeks after 12 months; 3 weeks after 3 years, plus 1 week per extra year, to 8 weeks.
Alberta	Over 90 days to under 2 years: 1 week. 2 to under 4: 2. 4 to under 6: 4. 6 to under 8: 5. 8 to under 10: 6. 10 or more: 8 weeks.
Saskatchewan	Over 13 weeks to 1 year: 1 week. Over 1 to 3 years: 2. Over 3 to 5: 4. Over 5 to 10: 6. Over 10: 8 weeks.
Manitoba	30 days to under 1 year: 1 week. 1 to under 3: 2. 3 to under 5: 4. 5 to under 10: 6. 10 or more: 8 weeks.
Ontario	3 months to under 1 year: 1 week. 1 to under 3 years: 2 weeks. Then 1 more week per year, to 8 weeks at 8 years.
Quebec	3 months to under 1 year: 1 week. 1 to under 5: 2. 5 to under 10: 4. 10 or more: 8 weeks.
New Brunswick	6 months to under 5 years: 2 weeks. 5 years or more: 4 weeks.
Nova Scotia	3 months to under 2 years: 1 week. 2 to under 5: 2. 5 to under 10: 4. 10 or more: 8 weeks.
Prince Edward Island	90 days to under 1 year: 1 week. 1 to under 5: 2. 5 to under 10: 4. 10 to under 15: 6. 15 or more: 8 weeks.
Newfoundland and Labrador	3 months to under 2 years: 1 week. 2 to under 5: 2. 5 to under 10: 3. 10 to under 15: 4. 15 or more: 6 weeks.
Yukon	6 months to under 1 year: 1 week. 1 to under 3: 2. Then 1 more week per year, to 8 weeks.
Northwest Territories	90 days to under 3 years: 2 weeks. Then 1 more week per year, to 8 weeks at 8 years (for employees working 25 or more hours a week).
Nunavut	After 90 days: 2 weeks for under 3 years, plus 1 more week per extra year, to 8 weeks.

Newfoundland and Labrador tops out at 6 weeks.

Example: Working notice at a Winnipeg bike shop

Jo runs a 6-person bike shop in Winnipeg and decides to end the job of a mechanic who has worked there for 3 years and 2 months. In Manitoba, 3 to under 5 years means at least 4 weeks' notice.

Jo gives a dated letter setting the last day 4 weeks out and keeps the mechanic on the same schedule and pay until then. Final pay goes out within 10 business days of the last day worked.

Hollis drafts the letter

Hollis drafts a termination letter for your province with the notice period and last day filled in, for you to check and send yourself.

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Questions about termination notice (statutory notice)

How much notice do I have to give an employee in Canada?

It depends on the province and the employee's length of service, usually 1 to 8 weeks once they pass the starting point. Common-law notice can be higher.

Does termination notice have to be in writing?

Yes. Statutory notice is written notice, or pay in lieu of it.

Is notice owed during probation?

Not before your province's starting point, such as 3 months in Ontario or 90 days in Alberta. After that, the minimum applies even if a contract calls it probation.

Official sources

General information for Canadian employers, not legal advice. Rules differ by province and territory and change over time, so check with your provincial employment standards office (or the federal Labour Program if you are federally regulated) before you rely on it. See employment standards by province.

Checked against official sources on 4 November 2026.