Notice periods in Ireland, explained
What the law sets as a floor
The Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Acts set statutory minimum notice an employer must give, rising with service — from one week (13 weeks to 2 years of service) up to eight weeks (15+ years). For employees resigning, the statutory minimum is just one week — but almost every contract sets a longer period, and the contract is what governs.
What contracts typically say
One month is the common standard for most roles in Ireland; senior, specialist and managerial positions frequently carry three months. Check your contract before you start interviewing — a three-month notice period affects how you time applications, and employers hiring urgently will ask about it early.
Resigning well
Resign in writing (email is fine), state your last working day calculated from your contractual notice, and keep it brief and gracious — Ireland is a small market and paths cross again. Notice can be shortened by agreement if your employer consents, and unused annual leave is either taken during notice or paid out with your final payslip.
Garden leave and counteroffers
Some employers place resigning staff on garden leave — you remain employed and paid but stay home. And if a counteroffer arrives, remember why you started looking: research consistently suggests most people who accept counteroffers are searching again within a year.
This is general information rather than legal advice — for a dispute, contact the Workplace Relations Commission or a solicitor.