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Notice period calculator for domestic workers 2026

Salvador JovellsUpdated: 22 October 20265 min read

Under CO and cantonal NAV With protection period check Free

Who is giving notice?

Notes and warnings adapt to your answer.

Employment start

First working day per the contract.

Notice received on

What counts is receipt, not the date on the letter. Default: today.

Canton (place of work)

Some cantonal NAVs set probation and notice differently.

Does the contract set probation or notice differently?

Notice period agreed in writing (optional)

In whole months, applies after the probation. Counts only if agreed in writing (CO Art. 335c para. 2) and is the same for both sides (Art. 335a). Longer or shorter than the law is fine, but not under one month.

Probation still running

Probation

Worked out from the start date and canton. Contract with a longer probation (up to 3 months) or none at all? Set it here by hand.

The worker's situation today (protection period check)

Is ill or had an accidentPregnant or within 16 weeks after the birthIs doing military, civil protection or civilian service

You have the date - now make it stick

The period is calculated. It only takes effect through a letter that demonstrably arrives.

1Put the date in the termination letter: write the last working day out in full. A letter without a concrete end date invites an argument about when the job ended.
2Deliver in time and provably: the period starts on receipt, not on sending. Hand it over in person against a signed copy, or send it by registered mail and allow for delivery and the 7-day collection period.
3Check the protection period before you post it: if a protection period is running because of illness, pregnancy or service, the termination is void (Art. 336c CO). The check above shows it before the letter is on its way.
4Plan the remaining holiday and final pay: wage and holiday entitlement run until the last working day. Outstanding holiday days and a pro-rata 13th salary belong on the final payslip.

Mandatory details

The exact start date and the status of probation and any protection period. Without the start date the calculator only shows the three possible end dates, because it decides whether one, two or three months apply.

Most common mistake

Terminating to an arbitrary date instead of a month end. Outside probation the termination then moves automatically to the next month end - one more month of wages.

Write the letter with this date: termination letter generator

Open planner with a ribbon bookmark and a black pen on a wooden desk, a second pen lying beside it — Probation, protection periods and the last working day: the notice period can be worked out to the day.

Work out which notice period applies to your domestic worker, including probation, protection periods and the correct last working day. Based on CO Art. 335b/335c. For background, see our guide to the NAV Domestic Work .

Everything on one pageThe complete termination kitNotice period, protected periods, letter, reference and closing checklist, in order.Open the kit →

Statutory Notice Periods

Domestic workers are subject to the general notice periods of the Code of Obligations (CO Art. 335b/335c). Individual cantonal standard employment contracts may provide for different periods. Overview:

Length of Service	Notice Period	Effective
Probation (1st month)	7 days	Any day
1st year of service	1 month	End of month
2nd to 9th year	2 months	End of month
From 10th year	3 months	End of month

Important: The notice must be given early enough for the full period to expire before month-end. Example: With a 2-month notice period and termination on March 15, the employment ends on May 31 (not May 15).

Probation: The statutory default is a one-month probation period (Art. 335b CO). The contract may extend it to up to 3 months or waive it entirely. A fixed-term contract works differently: it ends on the agreed day without notice, and it only has a probation period if you agree one.

Protection Periods (Dismissal Protection)

A dark blue umbrella shelters an open diary on a wooden table, surrounded by cut-out paper letters — After the probation period: during illness or accident (30 to 180 days depending on years of service), pregnancy and the 16 weeks after birth, a dismissal is void (Art. 336c CO).

After the probation period, termination by the employer during certain protection periods is void (CO Art. 336c). These protection periods also apply to domestic workers:

Illness and Accident

In the 1st year of service: 30 days. In the 2nd to 5th year: 90 days. From the 6th year: 180 days. The notice period is suspended during the protection period and continues afterwards. What you keep paying during this time is explained in the guide to sick pay for household staff.

Pregnancy and Maternity

Throughout the entire pregnancy and up to 16 weeks after birth, the employer may not terminate. Any termination during this period is void.

Military, Civil Protection and Civil Service

During service and - if it lasts longer than 11 days - four weeks before and after, the protection period applies.

Note: Protection periods only shield against employer termination. The employee may resign at any time. If notice was given before the protection period and the period runs into it, it is suspended and continues after the protection period ends.

Anatomy

Which date on the letter starts the notice period

Letter of termination
Employment of a domestic worker
Date on the letter3 March
Sent byregistered post1
Received by the employee5 March2
Protected period checkedno protected period running3
Employment ends on__.__.____4

Registered post documents that date, and so does a dated, signed confirmation of receipt when the letter is handed over in person. Without either, receipt is hard to prove in a dispute.
The period runs from receipt, not from the date written on the letter. Two days in the post can cost a whole month.
During a protection period for illness, accident, pregnancy or military service the notice is void, as if it had never been given.
This date is not on the letter. It follows from the notice period, and the calculator at the top of this page works it out.

Common Mistakes When Terminating

Notice period miscalculated

The period starts upon receipt of the notice, not the date of the letter. Send the notice by registered mail in good time and factor in postal delivery times.

Termination during a protection period

After the probation period, notice given during illness, accident, pregnancy or military service within the protection period is void: it is treated as if it was never given.

No proof of receipt kept

The notice only counts from receipt, and in a dispute you must prove when it was received. Hand it over in person against a dated, signed confirmation of receipt, or send it by registered mail and keep the receipt. A personal heads-up first is fair, but it doesn't replace the letter: here is how to word it on WhatsApp.

Final payslip forgotten

Upon departure, a final payslip must be prepared - including pro-rata vacation balance, 13th month salary (if agreed) and any overtime. Use our Payslip Generator for this.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the notice period for a domestic worker?▾

During probation (first month): 7 days. In the 1st year: 1 month. In the 2nd to 9th year: 2 months. From the 10th year: 3 months. After probation, employment always ends at the end of a calendar month.

What happens if notice is given during a protection period?▾

The termination is void - it is treated as if never given. The employer must give notice again after the protection period ends. If notice was given before the protection period, it is suspended and continues afterwards.

Must the notice be in writing?▾

Not legally required, but strongly recommended. Send the notice by registered mail so you can prove receipt. Written form can be agreed in the employment contract .

When does the notice period start?▾

From receipt of the notice, not from the date on the letter. Handed over in person, that is the day of the handover. If the post finds nobody in when delivering a registered letter, the day of receipt is disputed: under BGE 137 III 208 it is the first day the letter can be collected at the post office (usually the day after the collection slip), under another practice only the last day of the 7-day collection period. So plan with the later date, or hand the notice over in person and have the receipt confirmed on a copy.

Can a different notice period be agreed in the contract?▾

Yes, if it is agreed in writing. Longer and shorter periods are both possible, the same for both sides (CO Art. 335a). Going below one month, however, requires a collective labour agreement and is only allowed in the first year of service (CO Art. 335c para. 2).

What do I do with the calculated date?▾

It goes into the termination letter as the last working day, written out in full ("as of 31 October 2026"). After that only the delivery date matters: allow a few days for the post, otherwise the termination slips automatically to the following month end. Until that date wage, holiday entitlement and insurance all continue unchanged. The letter with this date is ready in minutes with our termination letter generator.

Can the date still move afterwards?▾

Yes. If your household employee falls ill, becomes pregnant or serves during the running notice period, the period is suspended and continues after the protection period (Art. 336c para. 2 CO). The last working day then moves to the next month end. The termination itself stays valid, it simply takes effect later.

Sources & further information

1CO Art. 335-335c - Notice periods - fedlex.admin.ch
2CO Art. 336c - Protection periods (dismissal protection) - fedlex.admin.ch
3Standard employment contract for domestic workers (SR 221.215.329.4) - fedlex.admin.ch
4SECO - Employment law - seco.admin.ch