International Employee Termination and Severance
Last reviewed: October 14, 2026
Plan international employee exits with a clear workflow for local review, notice, severance, final payroll, benefits, and employment records.
October 14, 2026
An international employee exit starts with the local employment rules, not the date you want someone to leave. Before a manager communicates a decision, confirm who legally employs the person, where they work, the proposed reason for dismissal, and the process that applies. A US termination template is not a global policy.
Build one exit file before making the decision
Give your local employer or employment adviser the contract, start date, work location, role, compensation history, leave balance, proposed reason, and relevant performance records. Include any collective agreement and protected circumstances that need review. Ask for a written assessment of the permitted route, required consultation, notice, estimated cost, and earliest defensible timeline. Keep the employee communication separate until that assessment is complete.
Separate notice, severance, and final pay
These are different obligations. Notice concerns the period before employment ends or an allowed payment in its place. Severance or redundancy pay depends on the applicable rules and circumstances. Final pay reconciles earned wages, expenses, leave, bonuses, and other amounts due. A settlement offer is another item again. Ask for an itemized calculation that names the basis for each amount, the currency, deductions, payment deadline, and approval owner.
Notice periods and severance rules in 8 countries
Use this table to scope the review, not to calculate an individual settlement. We checked the official sources below on 14 October 2026. Contracts, collective agreements, protected status and the reason for dismissal can change the answer. Each row describes its stated scope; local review determines the final obligation.
| Country / scope | Notice and process | Severance or exit payment |
|---|---|---|
| United States | The FLSA does not require individual termination notice. Check contracts, state law and federal/state WARN rules for covered layoffs. | The FLSA does not require severance. Check the employment agreement, benefit plan and other applicable law. |
| United Kingdom | For redundancy: one week after one month of service; one week per completed year from 2 to 12 years; 12 weeks thereafter. Longer contractual notice may apply. | Statutory redundancy pay generally requires 2 years of service. Age, service and capped weekly pay affect the calculation; dismissal is not always redundancy. |
| France | For ordinary dismissal, check service, collective agreement and the reason for dismissal. The usual statutory notice is 1 month at 6 months to under 2 years of service, then 2 months. Exceptions apply. | Eligible permanent employees generally need 8 months of continuous service for statutory dismissal compensation. Serious/gross misconduct and more favorable collective terms change the result. |
| Germany | BGB section 622 starts with 4 weeks to the 15th or month-end. Employer notice increases with service; probation and collective agreements can change the rule. | Do not assume paying severance makes a dismissal valid. Confirm the dismissal route, any settlement and applicable dismissal protections with local counsel. |
| Philippines | Distinguish just causes from authorized causes. Authorized-cause dismissals generally require notice to the employee and DOLE at least 30 days in advance. | Separation pay depends on the authorized cause and applicable conditions. Confirm the ground and calculation before setting a budget. |
| Australia | For employees covered by notice rules, NES notice varies with service. Check age-based additions, the award or agreement, and exclusions before calculating. | Redundancy pay depends on eligibility and service. Small-business and other exceptions can apply; an award or agreement may add rights. |
| Singapore | Use contractual notice. If none is specified, statutory notice ranges from 1 day to 4 weeks by service. Notice may be replaced by salary in lieu where applicable. | Retrenchment benefits depend on contract or collective terms and negotiation. MOM guidance describes prevailing practice, not one universal statutory payout. |
| UAE federal private sector | Ordinary contractual notice is 30–90 days. Probation, dismissal without notice and separate jurisdictions require different checks. | Check end-of-service entitlement, eligible service, basic wage and any alternative savings scheme. Do not apply federal rules automatically to DIFC or ADGM. |
Coordinate the employer, manager, and payroll team
The manager supplies the business facts. The legal employer leads the employment process. Payroll validates amounts, deductions, and payment timing. People operations coordinates benefits, equipment, and employee questions. Agree who can communicate what and when. An EOR can coordinate local employment administration, but your team still needs to supply accurate facts and respect the agreed process.
Close compensation records as carefully as access
Review outstanding variable pay, equity and token grants against their actual agreements. Record the treatment of unvested awards and any exercise window without assuming every plan uses the same rule. Schedule access changes around the approved communication and preservation requirements. Retain the final calculation, payment evidence, employee notices, and handover record in the authorized HR system.
Questions to ask your EOR
Who reviews the legal grounds? Which consultation steps apply? What changes if the employee contests the decision? Which amounts are statutory, contractual, or proposed settlement? Who handles the final payslip and filings? Request the full estimate before approving an exit date, including any provider administration fees.
Final pay: close each amount separately
Build a final-pay worksheet with earned salary, approved expenses, unused leave where payable, earned variable pay, notice pay and any severance or settlement. Give every line its own legal or contractual basis, deductions, due date and payroll owner. Confirm benefits end dates and required employee documents. Do not assume the normal payroll date is the legal deadline.
Timing also varies. Australia requires checking the award or agreement for final-pay rules. In Singapore, MOM distinguishes employer termination from employee resignation and whether notice was served. Ask payroll to confirm the rule for the actual exit before scheduling payment.
Common mistakes when terminating an employee abroad
Announcing the outcome before local review. Consultation can be part of the decision process. Give the employer the business facts before a manager promises an exit date.
Treating notice pay as severance. Show each obligation separately so the employee and finance team can see what is being paid and why.
Using one global formula. Service, dismissal grounds, employee protections and collective terms can change both the process and the cost.
Closing access before preserving records. Agree the communication, security and document-retention plan with the employer before changing access.
Assuming an EOR removes every responsibility. Your team still supplies accurate records, funds agreed costs and follows the approved process. Confirm who owns each step in writing.
Plan the next step
Toku is an employer of record and global payroll provider in 100+ countries, paying teams in local currency or stablecoins. Bring us the work country, contract, start date and proposed reason for the exit. We can discuss the employment setup and the next review step. Ask for an itemized estimate and a named owner before agreeing a date.
Related guides
Read Employer of record services.
Read Employer of record costs.
Official sources
Source: France: dismissal compensation.
Source: Philippines: termination process.
Source: UK: making staff redundant.
Source: Australia: redundancy.
Australia: dismissal and notice
Singapore: termination with notice
