---
title: "Slovenia Termination & Severance 2026"
description: "Slovenia termination 2026: notice runs 15 days to 80 days by tenure, severance is a fraction of pay per year, unlawful dismissal awards reach 18 months salary."
canonical: https://www.teamed.global/country-hiring-guides/slovenia/termination-and-severance
---

Slovenia · Termination child

Served by Teamed vetted partner-entity network in Slovenia

# How do you *terminate an employee in Slovenia* in 2026?

Notice in Slovenia climbs by two days for every completed year you keep someone past two years of service. It tops out at 60 days, then jumps again to 80 days once an employee passes 25 years ([ZDR-1 Article 94](https://zakonodaja.com/zakon/zdr-1/94-clen-minimalni-odpovedni-roki)). Miss the right reason and the labour court can award up to 18 months salary.

Last reviewed 13 June 2026 · Slovenia guide

![Ljubljana old town along the river at dusk with warm light on the castle hill and pastel facades.](/images/country-guides/slovenia-termination-severance.webp)

Illustration · Ljubljana, Slovenia

Answer.cite this

You need a valid reason to dismiss someone in Slovenia. A business reason, poor performance, or misconduct all count. Without one, the dismissal is not valid ([ZDR-1](http://www.pisrs.si/Pis.web/pregledPredpisa?id=ZAKO5944)).

Notice depends on length of service. It starts at 15 days under one year and 30 days from one to two years. Past two years it grows two days a year, up to 60 days. Over 25 years it reaches 80 days.

Severance is owed when you dismiss for a business reason or incapacity. It is a fraction of the employee's recent pay for each year worked. The fraction rises with longer service.

Get the reason or the process wrong and the labour court can award up to 18 months salary instead of giving the job back ([ZDR-1 Article 118](https://portal-zdr.si/articles/118)).

## What counts as a valid reason to dismiss in Slovenia?

You cannot dismiss at will in Slovenia. Every termination needs a lawful reason. The reason has to be real and you have to be able to show it ([ZDR-1](http://www.pisrs.si/Pis.web/pregledPredpisa?id=ZAKO5944)).

The main grounds are a business reason, incapacity, and fault. Each one has its own process. The wrong process can sink an otherwise fair dismissal.

The [Employment Relationships Act (ZDR-1)](http://www.pisrs.si/Pis.web/pregledPredpisa?id=ZAKO5944) sets out the lawful reasons an employer can end an open-ended contract. There is no general at-will dismissal. You give the employee written notice that states the reason, and you must be able to prove that reason if it is challenged.

### Lawful grounds for an ordinary dismissal

1. **Business reason**, where the role is no longer needed for economic, organisational, or technological reasons. This is the ground that triggers statutory severance.
2. **Incapacity**, where the employee cannot meet the role's requirements or has lost a qualification the job needs. This ground also triggers severance.
3. **Fault**, where the employee breaches their duties. You must give a prior written warning before a fault dismissal, except in the most serious cases.
4. **Extraordinary dismissal**, for serious misconduct, with no notice period and no severance. The bar is high and the timing is tight.

You cannot dismiss for a discriminatory or retaliatory reason. Pregnancy, parental leave, union activity, and filing a complaint in good faith are all protected. A dismissal on one of these grounds is not valid, whatever notice you pay. These protections sit alongside the ordinary grounds in the [ZDR-1](http://www.pisrs.si/Pis.web/pregledPredpisa?id=ZAKO5944).

1. Fix the lawful ground Anchor the dismissal to a business reason, incapacity, or fault. A termination without a real, provable reason is not valid in Slovenia, whatever notice you pay.
2. Warn before a fault dismissal For a fault ground, give a prior written warning that sets out the breach and the consequence. The most serious misconduct is the only exception.
3. Consult where it is a group exit When the dismissals reach the collective thresholds, prepare a redundancy programme and consult the works council or unions. Notify the Employment Service in writing first.
4. Serve written notice with the reason Issue notice in writing, stating the ground and the notice period that matches the employee's length of service. You can pay the notice out instead of working it.
5. Settle severance and final pay Calculate severance under Article 108 for a business-reason or incapacity dismissal, add accrued leave, and clear it inside the statutory pay window.

## How much notice must you give a Slovenia employee?

Notice runs by length of service. It is 15 days under one year and 30 days from one to two years ([ZDR-1 Article 94](https://zakonodaja.com/zakon/zdr-1/94-clen-minimalni-odpovedni-roki)).

Past two years the period grows two days for each completed year. It is capped at 60 days. Once an employee passes 25 years, notice reaches 80 days.

The minimum notice for a business-reason or incapacity dismissal scales with how long the employee has worked for you. The figures below are the legal floor set by [Article 94 of the ZDR-1](https://zakonodaja.com/zakon/zdr-1/94-clen-minimalni-odpovedni-roki). A contract or collective agreement can set a longer period. It cannot go below the floor.

| Length of service | Minimum employer notice |
| --- | --- |
| Under 1 year | 15 days |
| 1 to 2 years | 30 days |
| Over 2 years (30 days, plus 2 days per completed year) | up to 60 days |
| Over 25 years | 80 days |

The accrual works like this. From two years of service the base notice of 30 days grows by two days for every full year worked, until it hits the 60 days cap. Service beyond 25 years carries a separate, higher figure of 80 days. A collective agreement may set a different period for very long-serving staff, but not shorter than 60 days.

### Paying notice out

You can release the employee from working the notice period and pay it out instead. The payment covers the wages the employee would have earned across the notice window. It is treated as ordinary pay and taxed under the Personal Income Tax Act administered by the Financial Administration (FURS).

### Notice during probation

A probationary period can carry shorter notice if the employee does not pass it. Sources differ on the exact statutory maximum probation length in Slovenia, so set the probation term in the contract within the limits of the ZDR-1 and the applicable collective agreement, and confirm the local position before you rely on a specific cap.

## How is Slovenia severance pay calculated?

Severance (odpravnina) is owed when you dismiss for a business reason or incapacity. It is a fraction of the employee's recent pay for each year of service ([ZDR-1 Article 108](https://zakonodaja.com/zakon/zdr-1/108-clen-odpravnina)).

The fraction rises with longer service. There is no severance for a fault or serious-misconduct dismissal.

Statutory severance, odpravnina, is set by [Article 108 of the ZDR-1](https://zakonodaja.com/zakon/zdr-1/108-clen-odpravnina). It applies to dismissals for a business reason or for incapacity, once the employee has been with you for more than one year. It does not apply to a fault dismissal or an extraordinary dismissal for serious misconduct.

### The base and the fractions

The base is the employee's average monthly salary over the last three months before termination. Severance is then a fraction of that base for each full year of service. The fraction steps up with service:

- **More than 1 to 10 years**, one fifth of the base per year of service
- **More than 10 to 20 years**, one quarter of the base per year of service
- **More than 20 years**, one third of the base per year of service

The bands do not stack into a single blended rate. The rate that applies is the one that matches the employee's total length of service. So a worker with 12 years takes the one-quarter rate across their countable years, not a mix.

### The ceiling on the total

The total severance is capped at ten times the base, unless a sector-level collective agreement provides for more. That ceiling sits in Article 108 itself, so a very long-serving, higher-paid employee does not generate an unlimited liability. Some secondary summaries also describe an 18-month-of-salary ceiling for total severance, but the sources are not consistent on that point, so confirm the exact figure that applies before you model it.

### Accrued annual leave on exit

Unused annual leave is paid out on termination, whatever the reason for leaving. The statutory minimum is 4 weeks of paid leave a year, accruing one twelfth each month. Any balance left on the last working day is a cash sum the employer owes.

## Are there extra rules for group redundancies in Slovenia?

Yes. A business-reason dismissal that hits a group of employees brings extra duties to inform and consult before you act.

You consult the works council or union representatives and notify the Employment Service. Skip the consultation and the dismissals can be challenged.

When a business reason leads to redundancies above the statutory thresholds, the [ZDR-1](http://www.pisrs.si/Pis.web/pregledPredpisa?id=ZAKO5944) requires a collective-redundancy procedure. The employer prepares a dismissal programme, informs and consults the works council or, where there is none, the trade unions, and notifies the Employment Service of Slovenia in writing. The duty is to consult in good faith on ways to avoid or reduce the redundancies and to soften their effect.

Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities (MDDSZ) · ZDR-1

For a group redundancy on business grounds, the employer must draw up a redundancy programme, consult employee representatives, and notify the Employment Service before issuing notices. Severance under Article 108 is owed to each affected employee on the business-reason ground.

Source: [Government of the Republic of Slovenia, MDDSZ](https://www.gov.si/en/state-authorities/ministries/ministry-of-labour-family-social-affairs-and-equal-opportunities/)

The selection of who is made redundant has to follow objective criteria, and certain employees carry extra protection. Sole earners, employees close to retirement, parents of young children, and people with disabilities sit higher on the protection scale. A selection that ignores those protections is open to challenge even when the business reason is genuine.

### What the procedure must cover

- The reasons for the planned redundancies
- The number and categories of employees affected
- The criteria used to select employees for redundancy
- The measures considered to avoid or limit the redundancies
- The severance and other terms offered to those leaving

## Can you agree a mutual exit in Slovenia?

Yes. The employer and employee can end the contract by written agreement. A clean agreement records the leaving date and the final money.

A mutual exit avoids the notice and severance rules that apply to a one-sided dismissal. The employee gives up the right to challenge it, so the terms have to be fair.

A mutual termination agreement (sporazumna prekinitev) is a recognised way to end employment in Slovenia. It must be in writing. Because the employee is signing away the protections that apply to a dismissal, a written warning of the consequences for unemployment benefit is part of a properly handled agreement.

Typical components of a Slovenia mutual exit:

- **Agreed leaving date**, replacing the notice period that a one-sided dismissal would carry
- **Accrued annual leave**, the unused balance paid out at the daily rate
- **Final salary**, all pay earned up to the leaving date
- **Any agreed exit payment**, where the parties want a sum above the legal floor
- **Confidentiality and reference wording**, where commercially useful

On timing of the final money, Slovenia ties payment to the pay cycle rather than to a separate post-termination clock. Salary for a pay period is due no later than 18 days after that period ends ([ZDR-1 Article 134](https://zakonodaja.com/zakon/zdr-1/134-clen-placilni-dan)). In practice Teamed clears the final payroll, including leave and any agreed exit sum, on the first payroll run after the leaving date. Get the agreement signed before the last day so there is no dispute over when payment falls due.

## How Teamed runs Slovenia terminations

Teamed is your legal [employer of record](/lp/employer-of-record) in Slovenia. The cost is [**from $599 per employee per month**](/pricing), with **zero FX mark-up** in any currency. Every Slovenia termination runs through Teamed's operations team.

We handle the notice maths, the severance calculation, the works-council consultation, and the final payroll. It all sits on **one platform**. You decide who leaves and why.

**Real HR and legal experts** handle your Slovenia hires, from the first contract through every monthly payroll run and statutory deduction. **An actual person**, not a chatbot or a pooled queue. There is **no setup fee** and **no exit fee**, and employer cost **passes through at cost, itemised** on every invoice.

The split of responsibilities under EOR for Slovenia terminations:

| What Teamed handles | What the client decides |
| --- | --- |
| Notice from 15 days to 80 days by length of service | Whether to dismiss, why, and on what timeline |
| Valid-reason documentation and the written notice that states the ground | Performance standards and what counts as fault |
| Severance under Article 108, base and fraction by service band | Whether to offer terms above the legal floor |
| Works-council consultation and the Employment Service notification | Communication with the wider team |
| Accrued annual leave calculation and payout | Reference wording and any confidentiality terms |
| Final payroll inside the 18 days pay window, with FURS deductions | Commercial terms of any mutual exit |

Slovenia rewards employers who follow the process. The reason has to be valid, the notice has to match the service band, and the consultation has to be real. Teamed tracks each of those on every exit.

EOR, contractors, and entity employees all live on **one platform**. An employee hired through Teamed's Slovenia network can **graduate** to your own Slovenian entity when headcount makes that the right call, and Teamed stays with you until the model fits, **until it isn't**. Run the [Crossover Calculator](https://www.teamed.global/tools/crossover-calculator) to see when the model flips. Start from the [Slovenia hiring overview](/country-hiring-guides/slovenia).

Key sources: [Employment Relationships Act (ZDR-1)](http://www.pisrs.si/Pis.web/pregledPredpisa?id=ZAKO5944), [Financial Administration of the Republic of Slovenia (FURS)](https://www.fu.gov.si/en/), and the [Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities (MDDSZ)](https://www.gov.si/en/state-authorities/ministries/ministry-of-labour-family-social-affairs-and-equal-opportunities/).

## Frequently asked questions

How much notice must you give a Slovenia employee in 2026?

Notice for a business-reason or incapacity dismissal scales with service under Article 94 of the ZDR-1. It is 15 days for under one year and 30 days from one to two years. Past two years the period grows two days for each completed year, capped at 60 days. Once an employee passes 25 years it reaches 80 days. You can pay the notice out instead of working it.

Is severance pay mandatory in Slovenia?

Yes, for a business-reason or incapacity dismissal once the employee has more than one year of service. Article 108 of the ZDR-1 sets severance as a fraction of the average monthly pay over the last three months, for each year of service. The fraction is one fifth per year up to 10 years, one quarter from 10 to 20 years, and one third beyond 20 years. The total is capped at ten times the base unless a collective agreement provides more. A fault or serious-misconduct dismissal carries no severance.

Can you dismiss an employee at will in Slovenia?

No. There is no at-will dismissal. Every termination needs a lawful, provable reason: a business reason, incapacity, or fault. A dismissal for a discriminatory or retaliatory reason, such as pregnancy, parental leave, or union activity, is not valid whatever notice you pay.

What happens if a dismissal in Slovenia is found unlawful?

The labour court can order the employee reinstated. Where reinstatement is not workable, the court can award monetary compensation instead, up to 18 months salary under Article 118 of the ZDR-1. That sits on top of any notice and severance the employer still owes.

When is final pay due after termination in Slovenia?

Slovenia ties payment to the pay cycle. Salary for a pay period is due no later than 18 days after the period ends, under Article 134 of the ZDR-1. Final salary, accrued annual leave, and any agreed exit sum are settled on the first payroll run after the leaving date.

Do group redundancies in Slovenia need consultation?

Yes. A business-reason dismissal affecting a group above the statutory thresholds triggers a collective-redundancy procedure. The employer prepares a redundancy programme, consults the works council or trade unions, and notifies the Employment Service of Slovenia in writing before issuing notices. Severance under Article 108 is still owed to each affected employee.

Teamed Legal Operations

The Slovenia termination mistake we see most is treating notice as a flat number. It is not. It climbs with every year of service and then steps up again at 25 years. Calculate it on the wrong band and the whole dismissal is exposed, severance and all.

A note from Tom Price-Daniel

Slovenia notice grows two days for every year past two. The number you owe a 10-year employee is not the new-hire number.  
Most employers price the shortest notice and forget the accrual. Then it stretches to 60 days.  
Get the ground or the band wrong and a court can award up to 18 months salary.  
Know the band before you start the conversation.

Tom Price-Daniel · Co-founder, Teamed

## Related Slovenia guides

- [Hiring in Slovenia, overview](/country-hiring-guides/slovenia)parent
- [Sweden termination and severance](/country-hiring-guides/sweden/termination-and-severance)neighbour
- [UK termination and severance](/country-hiring-guides/united-kingdom/termination-and-severance)neighbour
- [Employer of Record overview](/lp/employer-of-record)core
- [Pricing, Zero FX Fixed](/pricing)core
- [EOR vs Entity Crossover Calculator](https://www.teamed.global/tools/crossover-calculator)tool
- [Talk to an expert](https://www.teamed.global/contact)CTA

A note on this page.

This is a guide, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Rules change and vary by jurisdiction, so verify current requirements with the relevant authorities, the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities (MDDSZ) and the Financial Administration of the Republic of Slovenia (FURS), or speak to a qualified professional before relying on any specific framework. The total severance ceiling and the maximum probation length carry some inconsistency across secondary sources; confirm the figure that applies to a specific case before you model it.