Notice period

Quebec Notice Period Requirements

In Quebec, Canada, employers must provide written notice to employees before terminating employment. The required notice period depends on the employee's length of service and ranges from no notice for employees with less than three months of tenure to eight weeks for those employed ten years or longer.

Specifically, employees with three months to one year of service require one week's notice. Those employed between one and five years must receive two weeks' notice. Employees with five to ten years of service are entitled to four weeks' notice, while those with ten or more years of continuous employment must receive eight weeks' notice. Employees with less than three months of service may be terminated without notice.

These requirements are established under Quebec's Act respecting Labour Standards (Loi sur les normes du travail). The notice period allows employees time to seek alternative employment and prepare for the transition.

Employers must provide notice in writing and allow the employee to work during the notice period unless otherwise agreed. The notice period begins on the date the employee receives written notification and continues until the termination date. During this period, the employee remains entitled to regular wages and benefits.

Payroll teams should maintain detailed records of each employee's hire date to calculate the correct notice period upon termination. Failure to provide adequate notice may result in liability for wages owed during the notice period. It is important to note that Ontario has introduced additional employment law changes effective November 27, 2025, including job-seeking leave and extended layoff provisions, though these apply only to Ontario-based employees.