Czech notice periods and the five ways an employment can end

Many foreigners in Czechia learn the notice rules the hard way: from a letter handed over on a Friday afternoon, or from a resignation drafted using a template that was correct until the spring of 2025. The Czech Labour Code (Act No. 262/2006 Coll.) is generous on paper to employees and strict about form. A termination that misses the form or the ground can be void, and a void termination changes who owes what.

This piece describes employment contracts under the Labour Code. Agreements on work performed outside employment (DPP and DPČ) have their own, shorter rules; see our guide to those agreements.

The notice period after June 2025

The notice period (výpovědní doba) is at least two months, and it is the same for the employer and the employee. A contract can make it longer, provided the length is equal for both sides. The change that matters most for anyone who remembers the older rules came with the "flexible amendment" of the Labour Code (Act No. 120/2025 Coll.), effective from 1 June 2025: for notice delivered from that date, the period begins on the day the notice is delivered and ends on the corresponding date two months later. The previous rule, under which the period began on the first day of the month after delivery, no longer applies to employment notices.

A hypothetical example shows the difference. Suppose an employee delivers a written resignation to the employer on 15 January 2027. The notice period then begins that day and ends on 15 March 2027, so the last day of employment is 15 March. Under the old rule it would have run from 1 February to 31 March. Employers and payroll systems that still follow the old calendar are a common source of disputes over the final pay slip, so check the end date on any document you sign.

The same amendment introduced one exception in the other direction: where the employer gives notice because the employee does not meet the requirements for the job, has breached duties seriously (or less seriously but repeatedly), or has seriously breached the sick-leave regime, the notice period is one month (as of 2026; check MPSV).

Contracts agreed before the amendment may contain their own notice clauses. Where a clause is longer than the statutory minimum and equal for both sides, it stands. If you are unsure which version of the rule applies to your contract, ask the employer to state the end date in writing and check it with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MPSV) or the State Labour Inspection Office (SÚIP).

The five ways employment can end

The Labour Code lists the ways an employment relationship ends. The first four involve a decision; the fifth is automatic.

By agreement (dohoda o rozvázání). Both sides sign a document that sets the end date. No ground is needed, no notice period applies, and the terms of departure, including any severance, are whatever you agree. It must be in writing. Read it as a final settlement, because you cannot usually reopen it later.

By notice (výpověď). This is the standard route for ending a permanent contract. It must be in writing and delivered to the other side, and it takes effect after the notice period.

By immediate termination (okamžité zrušení). Either side can end the relationship at once, but only on the narrow grounds the Labour Code lists. In general terms, an employer may do so after a final conviction for a serious intentional crime or for a particularly serious breach of duty; an employee may do so when continuing the work would harm their health according to a medical opinion, or when wages have not been paid within 15 days of the due date. The reason must be stated in writing and the step taken within statutory time limits, which for employer action over a breach of duty the 2025 amendment lengthened to three months from learning of it and 15 months from the breach (for breaches from 1 June 2025).

During probation (zkušební doba). Either side can end the employment during the agreed probationary period without giving a reason. The maximum probation is four months, or eight for managers, for contracts agreed from 1 June 2025, and it must be in writing no later than the first day of work. Contracts agreed before that date keep the earlier three- and six-month limits.

By expiry of a fixed term. A fixed-term contract ends on the agreed date unless the parties carry on working, in which case it can turn into a permanent one. Chains of fixed-term contracts are limited by the Labour Code, so a string of renewals needs checking against the statutory limits.

What an employer may and may not do

An employee can resign for any reason or none. An employer cannot. The Labour Code lists the grounds on which an employer may give notice: that the employer is closing down or relocating, that the position has become redundant, that the employee has lost health fitness for the job, that they do not meet the legal requirements for the work or have not satisfactorily performed it, or that they have breached their duties in a serious way, or less seriously after a written warning. A notice that does not state one of these grounds, or states a ground that is not true, can be challenged.

Some employees are protected for a period in which the employer cannot give notice on most of the grounds: during pregnancy, maternity or parental leave, certain long periods of illness or after an injury at work, and in some other situations. The protection has exceptions, notably where the employer closes down. If you are in a protected situation when the letter arrives, take legal advice before signing anything. Our explainer on Czech sick pay and sick leave covers how long illness is treated as a period of incapacity.

Severance and the court deadline

When an employer ends the employment because the job has been abolished or the company is relocating, or in certain cases for health reasons, the employee is entitled to severance (odstupné). The amount depends on length of service with that employer: one average monthly earnings for less than a year, two for a year but less than two, and three for two years or more. Higher amounts apply for dismissals after a work accident or occupational disease. Severance is paid on the next payday after the end of employment unless the parties agree otherwise.

If you think a dismissal was invalid, the deadline is short. A court action must be filed within two months of the date on which employment was supposed to end. The deadline is strict, and an employee who stays silent can lose the right to contest. A lawyer, a trade union or SÚIP can tell you whether the ground was properly stated.

If you hold an employee card

For non-EU nationals the end of a job is also a residence question. An employee card is issued for a particular job; our guide to employee cards and Blue Cards explains the link. If the job ends, the employer has duties to the Labour Office and the card holder has duties to the Ministry of the Interior, and the time available to find a new position is limited: the Ministry's guidance gives employee card holders 90 days from the end of the job to notify a new employer (60 days before 1 October 2025), and Blue Card rules differ (as of 2026; check OAMP). Ask the Ministry of the Interior at the moment the notice is given, not at the end of the notice period. The related piece on switching employers on an employee card covers the next step.

Pay is the second consequence. Unused leave, final wages and any bonuses are settled in the final pay. Leave cannot be paid out while the employment lasts, but unused leave is compensated when it ends. The overview of working time, overtime and holiday entitlement explains how leave is counted, and how a Czech employment contract works sets out the clauses worth reading before you sign a new one.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the notice period in Czechia?

At least two months for both employer and employee, unless the contract sets a longer period equal for both, and one month for some employer notices on conduct grounds. For notice delivered from 1 June 2025 it starts on the day of delivery.

Can my employer dismiss me without giving a reason?

No. An employer may give notice only on a statutory ground, which must be stated in the written notice. During probation either side can end the employment without a reason.

Do I get severance if I resign?

No. Severance is due when the employer ends the employment for organisational reasons or certain health reasons, not when the employee resigns.

How long do I have to challenge a dismissal?

A court action must be filed within two months of the date employment was due to end.

This is a general explainer, not legal or tax advice.