Notice Period Resignation Singapore
Published on 4th February, 2019 by Benjamin Li Yong Le
How much notice do you need to give your employer if your employment contract is silent on this issue? Can you leave earlier even if the notice period is clearly stated?
Most employment contracts specify the period of notice the employer and employee has to give to the other in the event they wish to terminate the employment agreement. If the employment contract clearly states the period of notice, then the parties have to abide by it or pay damages for breach of contract which will be discussed below.
What if the employment contract does not specify the period of notice?
For employees covered by the Employment Act, the default notice period is as follows:-
(a) one day’s notice if he has been so employed for less than 26 weeks;
(b) one week’s notice if he has been so employed for 26 weeks or more but less than 2 years;
(c) 2 weeks’ notice if he has been so employed for 2 years or more but less than 5 years; and
(d) 4 weeks’ notice if he has been so employed for 5 years or more.
For non-Employment Act employees, the notice period is usually agreed between parties and set out in the contract. If the employment contract is silent on notice period, the law will imply a reasonable notice period. What is reasonable depends on the circumstances and the position of the employee. For example, three months has been held to be a reasonable period for an executive director.
