Employee rights in Cyprus: what your employer can and cannot do

Most disputes at work are not about the law being unclear. They are about not knowing what the law already gives you.

Everything below comes from the Ministry of Labour's own published guides. Where a number decides your case — how many weeks' notice, how many days' leave — the number is here.

Notice: it depends on how long you have worked there

If your employer terminates your employment, the minimum notice is set by your period of continuous employment:

Continuous employment	Minimum notice
26 – 51 weeks	1 week
52 – 103 weeks	2 weeks
104 – 155 weeks	4 weeks
156 – 207 weeks	5 weeks
208 – 259 weeks	6 weeks
260 – 311 weeks	7 weeks
312 weeks and over	8 weeks

Notice must be given in writing.

Two things people miss. First, this is a minimum — a longer notice period from your contract, a collective agreement or custom still stands. Second, the clock is measured in weeks of employment, and a week counts where you worked 18 hours or more.

Under 26 weeks of continuous employment, there is no statutory notice entitlement.

When your employer can dismiss you without notice

The guide lists these cases:

• A serious offence by the employee in the course of duty
• A criminal offence committed without the employer's consent, express or implied
• Improper behaviour in the course of duties
• Serious or repeated violation or disregard of work regulations

There is an important limit: if the employer does not act within a reasonable period after learning of the matter that gave rise to that right, the dismissal may be considered unlawful. An employer cannot store up an incident and use it months later.

Compensation and redundancy

Unlawful dismissal compensation is capped at twelve months' wages.

Redundancy: an employee continuously employed for 104 weeks by the same employer whose employment is terminated because of redundancy is entitled to a redundancy payment from the Redundancy Fund — not from the employer directly.

Annual leave

• Work 48 weeks in a year and you are entitled to 4 weeks of paid annual leave
• On a five-day week: 20 working days
• On a six-day week: 24 working days
• It applies to all employees in the private and public sector, including apprentices

You are paid either directly by your employer or from the Central Holiday Fund, to which employers are obliged to contribute.

Leave can be accumulated for two years by agreement between employer and employee, and is then paid for both years together by the Central Holiday Fund.

Your own obligation

Notice runs both ways: an employee who intends to terminate their employment must also give notice to the employer. And an employer intending to transfer you to another employer must give you written notice as early as possible — even where the transfer does not change your duties or place of work.

Things worth checking, whatever your contract says

Are your social insurance contributions actually being paid? Deducted is not paid, and a gap can block registration with a new employer. How to check

Does your residence permit name your current employer? If you are a third-country national, you may only work for the employer named on the permit. Which permit applies

Do you have your payslips? They are the evidence in almost every dispute. Reading a Cypriot payslip

Where to go if something is wrong

The Department of Labour Relations is the competent authority for these laws. Disputes over unlawful dismissal, notice or redundancy go through it, and redundancy payments come from the Redundancy Fund.

For annual leave and the Central Holiday Fund, the responsible department is Social Insurance Services, Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance.

Common mistakes

Accepting verbal notice. Notice must be in writing.

Assuming a long service means a long notice period automatically. It does — but only up to the statutory minimum unless your contract says more.

Believing a dismissal months after an incident is valid. If the employer did not act within a reasonable period, it may be unlawful.

Not knowing redundancy comes from the Fund. Employees sometimes accept less from an employer who claims they cannot afford to pay.

Losing accumulated leave. It can be carried for two years by agreement — but only by agreement.

If you would rather not do this alone

We can read your contract and payslips against what the law actually gives you, request your social insurance record, and deal with the departments in Greek on your behalf. If you have been dismissed and are not sure whether it was lawful, the notice table above is the first thing to check — bring us the dates and we will tell you where you stand.