Kuwait
Kuwait Labour Law, Article 44: notice period
Next step
To check this, or for anything official:
Kuwait's Public Authority for Manpowermanpower.gov.kw
See what you are owed when notice is not served in full.
Work out the notice pay due for the unserved days of your notice period under Article 44 of the Kuwait Labour Law.
- Runs in your browser
- No sign-up
- Nothing leaves your device
- Cites the article
How is payment in lieu of notice calculated?
- Daily wage = (basic + fixed allowances) ÷ 30
- Shortfall = notice required − notice served
- Payment = shortfall × daily wage
Symbols
- notice required
- What the contract or the law sets, with a floor of 30 days
- shortfall
- The part you did not serve, which is the only part compensated
What is notice pay worth on 500?
An employee paid monthly on a wage of 1,000 KWD has a notice period of three months, that is 90 days, and the employment ends after only 45 days of it have been served.
- Required notice: 3 months = 90 days
- Days not served: 90 − 45 = 45 days
- Daily wage: 1,000 ÷ 30 = 33.333 KWD
- Notice pay: 45 × 33.333 = 1,500 KWD
The notice pay due is 1,500 KWD, a month and a half's wage, on top of the end-of-service indemnity and any unused leave balance. Had the worker been paid by the day or by the piece, the notice would have been one month rather than three.
When is it owed, and when is it not?
Under Article 44 of Kuwait's Private Sector Labour Law No. 6 of 2010, the notice period for ending an employment contract is three months for a worker paid monthly, and one month for a worker paid on any other basis, such as by the day, the week, the hour or the piece. This is the longest statutory notice in the Gulf, and it catches many workers out when they resign or when their contract is ended.
The contract may be ended without serving the notice by paying the worker's wage for the notice period or for the remaining part of it. The calculator works out the daily wage by dividing the monthly wage by 30 and multiplies it by the number of days not served, giving the amount payable by whoever ended the contract without observing the notice.
The contract stays in force with its rights and obligations throughout the notice period. During it, the worker may take one full paid day a week, or up to eight hours a week, to look for other work.
- Notice period: 3 months for a worker paid monthly, 1 month for a worker paid any other way (Article 44)
- The contract may be ended at once by paying the worker's wage for the notice period or its remaining part
- During notice: one full paid day a week, or up to 8 hours a week, to look for other work
- Notice pay = unserved days × the daily wage (monthly wage ÷ 30)
Questions about notice periods and pay in lieu
How long is the notice period under Kuwait's Labour Law?
Three months for a worker paid monthly and one month for a worker paid on any other basis, under Article 44 of Labour Law No. 6 of 2010. It is the longest statutory notice period in the Gulf.
Why is my notice three months while a colleague's is one?
Because the period depends on how the wage is calculated, not on length of service. A monthly-paid worker gets three months; a worker paid by the day, week, hour or piece gets one month.
Can the contract be ended immediately without serving notice?
Yes, in return for paying the wage for the notice period or the remaining part of it. The statutory period is 90 days for a monthly-paid worker and 30 for anyone else, and the calculator works the payment out by multiplying the daily wage by the days not served.
I resigned without serving my notice. What do I owe?
The employer is owed your wage for the days of notice you did not serve, out of the 90 days a monthly-paid worker must give (30 for anyone else), and it is usually deducted from your final entitlements. Your end-of-service indemnity and leave balance remain payable under their own rules.
Can I take time off to look for work during the notice period?
Yes. During the notice you may take one full paid day a week, or up to eight hours a week, to look for other work. The contract stays in force with its rights and obligations until the notice ends.
Is notice pay based on the basic salary or the full wage?
The calculator uses the monthly wage you enter, and our example uses the comprehensive wage divided by 30 to get the daily rate. Check your contract or company policy, and ask the Public Authority of Manpower if you and your employer disagree.
Sources
Read against the statuteReviewed September 2026- Labour Law in the Private Sector No. 6 of 2010, official text (PDF, English): Public Authority of Manpower
- Public Authority of Manpower: State of Kuwait
Statutory articles this calculator applies
- Kuwait Labour Law, Article 44: notice period
Kuwait Labour Law in the Private Sector: Law No. 6 of 2010, as amended