Statutory notice period
The minimum notice an employer must give. Contracts and collective agreements can lengthen it and only rarely shorten it, and the tenure bands are where cross-border assumptions usually go wrong.
The civil code requires notice for withdrawal from an indefinite contract but leaves its length to collective agreements. Dismissal itself always needs just cause or a justified reason under the dismissal laws.
No statutory notice table exists; the length of notice is set by the applicable national collective agreement (CCNL), usually by grade and tenure.
Notice not worked converts into an indemnity equal to the pay for the missing period, either direction.
Source: Art. 2118 Codice civile (testo), Ricerca Giuridica (statutory text). Checked on 2026-07-27.
Minimum paid annual leave
The statutory floor for paid holiday. The counting basis matters as much as the number, since some laws count a six-day week and others count working days or calendar weeks.
4 weeks per year.
At least 2 of the weeks must be taken in the year they accrue, on request as a continuous block; the rest within the following 18 months. Collective agreements commonly give more, often expressed in days.
Source: D.Lgs. 66/2003, art. 10 (testo), statutory text (mirror). Checked on 2026-07-27.
Probation limit
The longest trial period the law allows an employer to agree, together with the notice that applies while it runs.
6 months at most, with notice of either side may withdraw freely during a valid probation, without notice or indemnity during it.
The probation clause must be agreed in writing at signing or it is void. Actual lengths are set by the collective agreement per grade, within the statutory caps.
The general cap is 6 months; clerical staff without managerial functions carry a 3-month cap under the older statute. For fixed-term contracts the probation must be proportionate to the contract's length.
Source: Patto di prova: durata massima e disciplina, Lavoro e Diritti (statutory provisions quoted). Checked on 2026-07-27.
Employer social contributions
What the employer pays on top of gross salary into statutory schemes. Some countries charge a percentage of pay, others charge flat amounts, and a single headline rate hides caps, regional rules and industry-rated items.
Figures apply for 2026.
| Scheme | Rate, per cent of pay | Charged on |
|---|---|---|
| Pension fund (IVS), employer shareThe employee pays a further 9.19, for 33 in total. A pension-only earnings cap of 120,607 a year applies solely to people whose first contributions date from 1996 onward. | 23.81 | the whole salary, with no ceiling |
| Unemployment insurance (NASpI), employer share | 1.61 | the whole salary, with no ceiling |
| Sector and size dependent funds (sickness, maternity, family allowances, wage-supplement funds)The mix and rates depend on the sector, the collective agreement and headcount. | varies | all pay |
| INAIL work-accident insuranceSector-rated premiums, employer-only. | varies | all pay |
| Sum of the shares aboveThe two core rates for a typical private-sector employee; the sector funds and the accident premium come on top, and the practical total usually lands around thirty per cent of pay. | 25.42 |
The severance accrual (TFR), roughly a month's pay a year, is deferred wages rather than a contribution and sits outside these figures.
Source: Contributi INPS 2026: aliquote lavoro dipendente, Fiscomania; Aliquote INPS 2026 (Circolari n. 8 e n. 14), Nettostipendio. Checked on 2026-07-27.