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Free tools › Notice periods by country

Notice period: Singapore vs United States

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

How do notice periods compare between Singapore and US?

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. United States: None. Employment is at-will; the only federal notice rule is the WARN Act's 60 days for qualifying mass layoffs.

Singapore vs United States, side by side

SingaporeUnited States
The ruleWhere 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.None. Employment is at-will; the only federal notice rule is the WARN Act's 60 days for qualifying mass layoffs.
At 1 year1 weekNo statutory scale
At 5 years4 weeksNo statutory scale
At 10 years4 weeksNo statutory scale
Key numbersDefault range: 1 day to 4 weeks by tenure; Contractual notice: Overrides the default; must be equal both ways; Payment in lieu: PermittedIndividual dismissal: No federal notice requirement; WARN Act: 60 days, mass layoffs at 100+ employee firms; State variation: Mini-WARN laws in several states

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.

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.

Hiring in both markets?

Put a full number on each side with the true-cost calculators: True cost of an employee (Singapore) and True cost of an employee (US). The complete six-market picture is on the Notice periods by country page.

Sources

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

MarketSourceRule / effectiveVerified
SingaporeMinistry of ManpowerEmployment Act ss.10-11Checked July 2026
United StatesUS Department of LaborWARN Act 1988Checked July 2026
Where Compono fits

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, not just what the CV claims, so the hires behind these numbers hold up wherever you make them.

See how it works

Common questions

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.

What is the rule on notice period in the US?

None. Employment is at-will; the only federal notice rule is the WARN Act's 60 days for qualifying mass layoffs. No US federal law requires notice for an individual dismissal.

Where can I check the source figures?

The sources section below links the Singapore and the US 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 Ministry of Manpower, the US Department of Labor or your own adviser. Last reviewed July 2026.