One-Hour Notice in 2026: When Is It Valid and How to Defend Yourself

Quick Overview

• Termination with one hour’s notice is not a standard termination but an immediate termination of employment.
• An employer may use it only for reasons specified in the Labor Code.
• The employment relationship ends immediately, meaning there is no standard notice period.
• Immediate termination must be in writing, and the reason must be specifically stated.
• If the employee considers the termination invalid, they must generally file a lawsuit within two months of the date the employment was supposed to end.

Have you received a notice of termination with immediate effect and are unsure whether it is valid? In the case of immediate termination of employment, the decision depends not only on the legal grounds but also on the wording of the document, its delivery, and compliance with deadlines. We’ll examine whether the employer acted correctly and how you can defend yourself.

Note on terminology: The Labor Code does not use the term “one-hour notice.” This is a colloquial term for immediate termination of employment. Unlike a standard notice of termination, there is no notice period here—the employment relationship ends the moment the valid immediate termination is served on the other party.

Reasons for Immediate Termination of Employment

Termination “on the spot” is considered a completely exceptional method of ending an employment relationship. Similar to termination during the probationary period, the employment relationship ends immediately in this case as well. Unlike termination during the probationary period, in this case it is necessary to state a reason justifying the immediate termination of employment.

An employer may immediately terminate an employment relationship if an employee has been convicted by a final judgment of an intentional criminal offense and sentenced to imprisonment for a term of more than one year. The employer may also immediately terminate an employee’s employment if the employee has been finally convicted of an intentional criminal offense committed while performing work duties and sentenced to imprisonment for a term of at least six months. An employer may also terminate an employee’s employment with one hour’s notice ifthe employee “violates an obligation arising from legal regulations relating to the work performed in a particularly gross manner.” As with standard termination of employment, the reason provided by the employer must be specified in such a way that it cannot be confused with any other reason. For example, an unexcused absence from work lasting longer than five days will always constitute a particularly gross violation of work duties.

Even if the grounds for immediate termination of employment are met, the employer may still give the employee a standard notice of termination with a notice period, or enter into a mutual agreement with the employee to terminate the employment relationship (so-called “termination by mutual agreement”).

A practical example from the courts: The Supreme Court has repeatedly emphasized that immediate termination of employment is truly an exceptional measure. In one of the cases reviewed, the courts also considered an employee’s unexcused absence lasting several days and examined the employee’s prior work conduct, the reasons for the absence, and the serious consequences it had for the employer. The number of days missed alone is therefore not the sole criterion—all the circumstances of the specific case are decisive.

Three Months for Immediate Termination of Employment

Starting June 1, 2025, an employer has a longer period than before to give one-hour notice of termination. Immediate termination of employment may be used within three months from the date the employer became aware of the reason, but no later than 15 months from the date the reason arose.

These rules were introduced by the “flexi-amendment” to the Labor Code. For reasons that arose before June 1, 2025, the time limits are assessed according to the previous legal provisions. Therefore, the specific date of the misconduct may be crucial when assessing the validity of an immediate termination of employment.

Required Written Form

Immediate termination of employment must be in writing. Furthermore, the employer must describe the reason in sufficient detail so that it cannot be confused with any other reason. The employer may not subsequently change or replace this reason with another.

Generally, if the employment relationship was terminated in a contentious or hostile manner, a two-month period begins on the date the employment was supposed to end. During this short period, the employee must, for example, file a lawsuit to have the termination declared invalid. If the employee does not file such a lawsuit, the court cannot overturn the termination, even if it was completely baseless and invalid from the outset.

However, in accordance with the Civil Code, the Labor Code specifies that certain legal acts terminating employment are disregarded. These include a notice of termination, immediate termination of employment, or a notice of termination during the probationary period that is not given in writing. Consequently, a notice of termination that is formally incorrect does not result in its invalidity, but rather in the even more serious status of “apparent nullity” (or nullity).

A legal act deemed “apparent” is as if it did not exist; no one is required to respect it, and it has no legal consequences. Therefore, you do not need to assert this “apparent” status in court within the two-month deadline, but you can defend yourself at any time thereafter.

How Can You Defend Against Immediate Termination of Employment?

As mentioned in the previous paragraphs, an employee has the option to file a lawsuit to have such a termination declared invalid within two months of the date the immediate termination of employment was served on them. Typically, an employee can argue that there was no particularly gross violation of work duties, which the employer cited as the reason for the termination.

If the employee does not agree with the immediate termination, it is up to them to defend themselves. First, they must notify the employer that they insist on continuing their employment. If the employer still insists that the termination is justified, the employee will have to assert their rights by filing a lawsuit in court. This lawsuit must be filed within two months of the date the immediate termination notice was delivered. If the employee misses this deadline, they will no longer be able to prevail in the dispute. During the proceedings, the court will assess the validity of the termination and whether the legal requirements have been met. The employee may also be awarded compensation for lost wages for the period during which they were unable to work.

The Labor Code specifies precise formal requirements for the termination of employment. Therefore, we cannot recommend sample forms available on the internet. Both a termination notice issued by the employer and one issued by the employee may be deemed invalid precisely because a template was used, and ultimately, using such a template may result in significant financial costs that will have to be paid to the other party.

Summary

“Termination on the spot” is a colloquial term for the immediate termination of employment, which the Labor Code permits only in exceptional circumstances. The employer must have a lawful reason, specify it in a written document, and comply with the statutory time limits. As of June 2025, the employer generally has three months from the time the reason becomes known, but no more than 15 months from when the reason arose. If an employee considers the termination invalid, they may file a lawsuit; as a rule, the lawsuit must be filed within two months of the date the employment was supposed to end.