Severance pay · Quebec
Quebec severance pay calculator.
What Quebec law requires an employer to pay when it ends employment without cause, in dollars, and whether the package you were offered clears that minimum.
Quebec sets a legal floor in the form of indemnity in place of notice: up to 8 weeks of pay, after 3 months of service. The CNESST page covers the labour-standards notice and its indemnity, which is the statutory floor. It does not set a severance formula.
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Statutory minimum
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Quebec minimum notice and indemnity in place of notice
| Length of continuous service | Minimum notice, or pay in its place |
|---|---|
| Under 3 months | None |
| 3 months to under 1 year | 1 week |
| 1 year to under 5 years | 2 weeks |
| 5 years to under 10 years | 4 weeks |
| 10 years or more | 8 weeks |
How the pay is worked out
If notice is not given on time, the indemnity equals the usual wage the employee would have received between the date notice should have been given and the end of employment. It excludes overtime.
The employer does not owe notice in several cases, including a completed task, force majeure, serious misconduct justifying immediate dismissal, under 3 months of service, or a fixed-term contract.
Severance in Quebec
The CNESST page covers the labour-standards notice and its indemnity, which is the statutory floor. It does not set a severance formula.
Outside Ontario and the federal jurisdiction, the statutory minimum is notice or pay in place of it. Anything above that comes from a contract or from a court. The amount of a court award is fact-specific and cannot be read off a table, so this page does not estimate it.
Near a threshold?
Provinces word their cut-offs differently (“more than”, “at least”, in days, weeks or months). This calculator uses completed months. If you are within a few days of a threshold, confirm the exact date with the employment standards office.
Source, checked 15 October 2026: CNESST — Avis de cessation d’emploi et indemnité (in French).
Frequently asked questions
Is there a statutory severance pay in Quebec?
The CNESST page covers the labour-standards notice and its indemnity, which is the statutory floor. It does not set a severance formula. What the law fixes is the minimum notice, or indemnity in place of notice in its place. That is the amount this page calculates.
How much is the minimum Quebec owes me?
It depends on continuous service. After the qualifying period (3 months) the minimum is shown in the table above, rising to a maximum of 8 weeks of pay. Enter your service and pay in the calculator for a dollar figure.
Can my employer offer less than this?
Not for a termination without cause. An employment contract can promise more than the statutory minimum but not less. If an offer is below the figure above, ask the province's employment standards office or a lawyer before signing.
Does a larger offer mean the offer is fair?
No. The statutory figure is a floor, and Quebec's labour-standards indemnity is only one possible source of compensation. Get advice from the CNESST or a lawyer before signing a release.
Estimate only — not legal advice
This page estimates the statutory minimum from the province’s published employment standards guidance. It is not legal advice and not a determination of what you are owed. It does not model group terminations, temporary layoffs, fixed-term contracts, contractual terms, or common-law reasonable notice, any of which can change the answer. It stores nothing and sends nothing: the calculation runs in your browser.
For a binding answer, contact the province’s employment standards office or an employment lawyer. Do not sign a release without advice.