Employers in Cyprus are governed by the Employment Law (100(1)/2000), a combination of statute and case law. Furthermore, Cyprus statute law addresses employment termination, paid leave, annual social insurance contributions, parental leave and equal treatment at work, among other things. The Labour Disputes Courts are responsible for resolving disputes involving the rights of employees and employers.
Every employee who has a contract or employment relationship in the private, public, or semi-governmental sectors is subject to the provisions of the Employment Law.
Employees whose total period of employment is less than one month; employees whose total hours of work in a given week is less than eight hours; employees whose work is of a casual and particular nature under the condition that objective reasons justify the non-application of the Law; employees whose total period of employment is less than one month; employees whose total hours of work in a given week is less than eight hours; employees whose work is of a casual and particular nature under the condition that the non-application of
As part of this article, our employment lawyers will discuss the most critical aspects of terminating an employee in Cyprus, including the notice period, unlawful termination of employment, and redundancy (if applicable).
Specifically, the Termination of Employment Law (24/1967) states that an employer who intends to dismiss an employee who has worked for the company for at least 26 weeks must provide the employee with a minimum period of notice based on the length of their service, as illustrated below:
Work for 26 to 51 weeks (6 months- 1 year)
One week’s news is required.
Work 52 – 103 weeks per year (1-2 years)
Two weeks’ notice for 104 – 155 weeks of work is needed (2-3 years)
Four weeks notice equals 156-207 weeks of employment (3-4 years)
Five weeks’ notice equates to 208-259 weeks of work (4-5 years)
Six weeks’ notice equals 260 – 311 weeks’ worth of work (5-6 years)
Seven weeks’ notice is required.
More than 312 weeks of work have been completed (more than 6 years)
Eight weeks’ notice is required.
Unlawful dismissal from one’s place of employment:
According to the Termination of Employment Law, an employee whose employment has been unlawfully terminated after completing 26 weeks of continuous work with an employer is entitled to compensation if the engagement was released after the employee has completed 26 weeks of continuous employment with the employer. Additionally, an employee who quits their job as a result of the actions of their employer may be entitled to compensation. Second, it should be clarified that the Labour Disputes Court determines the payment amount after the employee has applied.
If an employee’s remuneration is less than their worth, they may be compensated. The following factors are considered when determining compensation:
- The length of the employee’s service.
- Any limitations on the employee’s future opportunities.
- The age of the employee.
- The circumstances under which the employee was terminated.
An employee cannot claim compensation if they were terminated from their employment for one of the following reasons: if the termination of employment is deemed to be the result of redundancy, an Act of God, war, riots, extreme weather conditions, or other similar circumstances; if the termination of employment is deemed to be the result of redundancy; if the work is terminated at the end of a fixed-term contract; if the dismissal is considered to be
How to get compensation if you were fired in violation of the Law:
Professional legal assistance is required when filing a claim for wrongful dismissal compensation. An employment lawyer will assist you with all of the necessary legal and administrative procedures to ensure that you receive the compensation that you are entitled to under the circumstances. Consequently, if you would like to receive tailored legal assistance, please contact one of our attorneys.
Redundancy:
The amount of the redundancy payment is calculated as shown in the table below:
Continuity of employment over some time
The amount of redundancy compensation
Up to a maximum of four years
a two-week salary for every year of uninterrupted employment
More than four years and up to ten years
For each period of continuous employment, 2.5 weeks’ wages are earned.
More than ten years, and possibly as much as fifteen years
You will receive three weeks’ pay for every year of continuous employment.
More than 15 years, and possibly as much as 20 years
For each year of continuous employment, an employee is entitled to 3.5 weeks of wages.
More than 20 years, and possibly as much as 25 years
Approximately four weeks’ pay for each year of continuous employment.
How to claim redundancy pay:
For an employee to receive payment from the Redundancy Fund, they must submit a claim using the prescribed form obtained from Social Insurance Offices, the Citizen’s Service Center, and the Ministry of Labor and Social Insurances’ official website.
Claimants must submit their claims to the nearest Social Insurance Office within three months of the date on which their employment was terminated, at the very latest. However, in cases where the employee can demonstrate that they had a legitimate reason for the delay, payment may be approved, provided that the claim is submitted within 12 months of the date on which their employment was terminated.