A Short Guide to Working in Cyprus – Ending a Job : Termination, Notice & Compensation

If your employment ends, it’s important to know whether the dismissal was lawful, what notice you’re owed, and what compensation you may be entitled to. Here’s what the law says.

Step 1: Know When Dismissal Is Not Justified

🚫Grounds That Cannot Justify Dismissal

An employee under 6 months (excluding a probation period, which can be extended up to 2 years) cannot be dismissed based on:

• Unsatisfactory performance due to temporary incapacitation from illness, injury, or childbirth

Step 2: Know When Dismissal IS Justified

✅Lawful Grounds for Dismissal

Dismissal can be justified when it results from:

• Redundancy
• Force majeure — war, civil commotion, or act of God
• The end of a fixed-term contract
• Conduct that reasonably renders the employee liable to summary dismissal — including serious or repeated disciplinary or criminal violations, or indecent behaviour

Step 3: Know Your Notice Period

📅Notice Periods by Length of Employment

The amount of notice due before termination increases with how long you’ve worked continuously for the same employer:

Length of continuous employment	Notice period
Less than 26 weeks	0 days
26–52 weeks	1 week
52–104 weeks	2 weeks
104–156 weeks	3 weeks
156–208 weeks	5 weeks
208–259 weeks	6 weeks
260–311 weeks	7 weeks
312+ weeks	8 weeks

If your employer terminates your contract immediately, without giving this notice, they must pay you compensation in lieu of notice, calculated according to your length of service.

Your Next Steps

1. If you’re dismissed, check which grounds your employer has stated.
2. Compare the notice period you received against the table above.
3. If you believe your dismissal was unjustified or your notice/compensation is wrong, contact the Department of Labour Relations.
4. Keep any written notice of dismissal you receive.

Source: Inclusive Labour Market — A Short Guide to Working in Cyprus for Refugees and Asylum Seekers, May 2023.