Is it common to have a 6 month "notification period" for labor termination?

Question

On reviewing my offer letter, I noticed that the notice period if I choose to terminate the labor contract is 6 months. This means that if I find a new role in future, I will be stuck in the firm for 6 months before being able to move to the next firm. I'm curious do other consulting firms have the same practice? Is a 6 month period reasonable? (Note: the notification period were all 1 month at my previous firms) Thanks!

Answer 1

Hi there,

congrats to your offer!

While notice periods can vary across firms, career levels (more senior → longer) and geographies, 6 months is not unheard of but rather unusual (typical is 1-3 months) + fairly unreasonable , given the nature & demands of the job.

If you'd like advice on what can be expected in a specific geography + firm, feel free to reach out via PM and provide additional context.

Hope this helps.

Regards, Andi

Answer 2

Hi there,

2-4 weeks is what I would expect.

6 months is very long but where are you based? Europe has quite strict labor laws.

Now, please take this advice with a grain of salt (disclaimer: not legal advice), but typically this doesn't mean you can't leave with 1 month notice. Double-check the wording. It might say something like “6 months unless mutually agreed by both parties” or something like that.

Make sure there's no “punishment” clause for leaving earlier. Also, double check what this actually means. Does this mean the employer also has to give you 6 months notice?

This is all different by country, role, etc. so more context would be helpful here!

Answer 3

Dear candidate,

I can only comment on Germany: here 3 months is common after the probationary period has passed, 6 months indicates that your firm is generous and wants you to have a good experience, leave in good standing.

Best regards