New Zealand
New Zealand law sets no minimum notice period. Whatever the employment agreement says applies, and where it says nothing, notice must be fair and reasonable for the role, judged on things like length of service and how long a replacement takes to find. Employment New Zealand's own guidance points to 2 to 4 weeks as the common range.
- Statutory minimumNone
- Common practice2 to 4 weeks (guidance, not law)
- 90-day trialsNotice must be given within the trial period
- A dismissal under a valid 90-day trial generally cannot be challenged as unjustified.
- From 21 Feb 2026, employees on new agreements earning NZ$200,000 or more cannot raise an unjustified dismissal grievance, though contractual notice still applies.
Source: Employment New Zealand (Employment Relations Act 2000). Checked July 2026.
United States
No US federal law requires notice for an individual dismissal. The WARN Act requires 60 calendar days' written notice, but only for plant closings and mass layoffs at employers with 100 or more employees, and several states run stricter mini-WARN versions. Individual notice, where it exists, comes from the contract.
- Individual dismissalNo federal notice requirement
- WARN Act60 days, mass layoffs at 100+ employee firms
- State variationMini-WARN laws in several states
- Montana is the main exception to pure at-will employment.
- Failing to give WARN notice costs up to 60 days' back pay and benefits per employee.
Source: US Department of Labor (WARN Act 1988). Checked July 2026.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from the government source for its market.
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