Skip to the main content.
Talk to an expert
Talk to an expert
Featured Offer
Ambitious 50 →
6 months of Hire and Engage free for businesses under 50 people.

Hey Compono!

A coach that actually gets you.

Get 10 minutes free, then $15 a month. Cancel anytime.

Get Started ≫
Free tools › Notice periods by country

Notice period:
Australia vs Singapore

Statutory notice period in Australia and Singapore, side by side, with the primary source for every figure.

How do notice periods compare between Australia and Singapore?

Australia: 1 to 4 weeks by length of service, plus 1 extra week for employees over 45 with at least 2 years' service. Singapore: Where the contract is silent: 1 day to 4 weeks by length of service. The contract can set any period, as long as it is the same both ways. At five years' service that means 3 weeks in Australia and 4 weeks in Singapore.

Australia vs Singapore, side by side

AustraliaSingapore
The rule1 to 4 weeks by length of service, plus 1 extra week for employees over 45 with at least 2 years' service.Where the contract is silent: 1 day to 4 weeks by length of service. The contract can set any period, as long as it is the same both ways.
At 1 year1 week1 week
At 5 years3 weeks4 weeks
At 10 years4 weeks4 weeks
Key numbersMinimum employer notice: 1 to 4 weeks by tenure; Over-45 addition: +1 week (over 45, 2+ years' service); Payment in lieu: Permitted, at the full pay rateDefault range: 1 day to 4 weeks by tenure; Contractual notice: Overrides the default; must be equal both ways; Payment in lieu: Permitted

Australia

The National Employment Standards set minimum written notice (or payment in lieu at the full rate) on a four-band tenure scale. The over-45 addition sits on top. Awards and agreements can require more, and they are also what obliges an employee to give notice, the NES itself does not.

  • Minimum employer notice1 to 4 weeks by tenure
  • Over-45 addition+1 week (over 45, 2+ years' service)
  • Payment in lieuPermitted, at the full pay rate
Length of serviceEntitlement
1 year or less1 week
More than 1 year, up to 3 years2 weeks
More than 3 years, up to 5 years3 weeks
More than 5 years4 weeks
  • Bands read 'more than X years': at exactly 5 years the entitlement is 3 weeks, not 4.
  • No NES notice for casuals, genuine fixed-term contracts or serious misconduct.

Source: Fair Work Ombudsman (NES, in force since 2010). Checked July 2026.

Singapore

Singapore's Employment Act scale is a fallback, not a floor. If the contract sets notice, that applies (it must be equal for employer and employee). If it does not, the statutory bands run from 1 day under 26 weeks' service to 4 weeks at 5 years or more. Either side can pay salary in lieu.

  • Default range1 day to 4 weeks by tenure
  • Contractual noticeOverrides the default; must be equal both ways
  • Payment in lieuPermitted
Length of serviceEntitlement
Less than 26 weeks1 day
26 weeks to under 2 years1 week
2 to under 5 years2 weeks
5 years or more4 weeks
  • Because the scale is only a fallback, a contract can lawfully set shorter notice than the default bands.

Source: Ministry of Manpower (Employment Act ss.10-11). Checked July 2026.

Sources

Every figure on this page comes from the government source for its market.

MarketSourceRule / effectiveVerified
AustraliaFair Work OmbudsmanNES, in force since 2010Checked July 2026
SingaporeMinistry of ManpowerEmployment Act ss.10-11Checked July 2026

Next step

Calculator

True cost of an employee (Australia)

Put a full loaded-cost number on the Australia side. Free, every rate sourced.

Run the Australia number →Calculator

True cost of an employee (Singapore)

The same loaded-cost maths for Singapore, on local rates.

Run the Singapore number →Compare markets

Notice periods by country

The complete six-market picture, with the pick-two selector.

See all six →Free tools

All HR calculators

Every free tool for HR leaders, across six markets. No sign-up.

Browse the tools →

The rules you can look up.
The people you cannot.

Compono is a talent intelligence platform: an applicant tracking system and an employee engagement platform built on the same people data.

Comparing entitlements is the easy half of hiring across markets. The hard half is whether the person you hire in Sydney, Singapore or Seattle will actually work out, and that risk looks the same in every jurisdiction. Compono matches candidates on how they work as well as what the CV claims, so the hires behind these numbers hold up wherever you make them.

See how it works
Compono
$34M
saved by VicRoads over two years

Common questions

What is the rule on notice period in Australia?

1 to 4 weeks by length of service, plus 1 extra week for employees over 45 with at least 2 years' service. The National Employment Standards set minimum written notice (or payment in lieu at the full rate) on a four-band tenure scale.

What is the rule on notice period in Singapore?

Where the contract is silent: 1 day to 4 weeks by length of service. The contract can set any period, as long as it is the same both ways. Singapore's Employment Act scale is a fallback, not a floor.

Where can I check the source figures?

The sources section below links the Australia and Singapore government pages every figure on this page was verified against in July 2026.

This page is general information, not legal advice. We check figures annually and update them on a best-efforts basis, but employment rules change and we cannot promise everything here is current or complete. Before you act on it, confirm the detail with the Fair Work Ombudsman, the Ministry of Manpower or your own adviser. Last reviewed July 2026.