Alberta Severance and Termination Pay Calculator
Alberta does not have a statutory "severance pay" separate from notice. What the Employment Standards Code guarantees is termination notice, termination pay in lieu of notice, or a combination, scaled to how long you worked. Enter your service and weekly pay to see that minimum.
Statutory minimum, Alberta
$5,000
5 weeks total · statutory minimum only
Notice (pay in lieu)
5 weeks
$5,000
Statutory severance
None
Common-law reasonable notice (rough range)
4.5 to 7.5 monthsabout $19,500 to $32,500
For a non-unionized employee dismissed without cause, courts usually award far more than the statutory minimum, based on the Bardal factors (your age, length of service, the type of role, and how hard it is to find similar work). There is no formula, so this is a broad illustration, not a prediction. A valid termination clause in your contract can limit you to the statutory minimum, and awards rarely exceed roughly 24 months.
This tool estimates statutory minimums from each jurisdiction's employment-standards act (and the Canada Labour Code for federally regulated work), plus a rough reasonable-notice range (common law, or the Civil Code in Quebec). It is general information, not legal advice, and RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm or a government body. Your actual entitlement depends on your contract, the reason for the dismissal, and your full circumstances; a court, tribunal, or your provincial employment-standards office makes the binding calculation.
Check the first question before anything else: if you work for a bank, airline, interprovincial transport company, telecom or broadcaster, Canada Post, or another federally regulated employer, the Canada Labour Code applies instead of Alberta's law. Choose the federal option above.
Is There Statutory Severance Pay in Alberta?
No. Alberta's Employment Standards Code provides termination notice or termination pay only. There is no additional statutory severance payment of the kind Ontario and the federal Canada Labour Code provide. Any larger "severance package" comes from your contract or from common-law reasonable notice.
Alberta Notice Schedule
Minimum notice (or termination pay in its place) under the Employment Standards Code (s. 56), by length of continuous service:
| Length of service | Minimum notice or payment |
|---|---|
| 90 days or less | None |
| 6 months | 1 week |
| 1.5 years | 1 week |
| 3 years | 2 weeks |
| 5 years | 4 weeks |
| 7 years | 5 weeks |
| 10 years or more | 8 weeks |
Worked Example
An employee in Alberta with 5 years of service (60 months) and regular pay of $1,000 a week is dismissed without cause and without working notice:
- Statutory notice for that service: 4 weeks, so 4 x $1,000 = $4,000 in pay in lieu of notice.
- Statutory severance pay: none in Alberta.
- Statutory total: $4,000, the legal minimum.
- Common-law reasonable notice (a broad illustration, not a prediction): roughly 3.8 to 6.3 months, about $16,467 to $27,300.
The 90-day threshold
No statutory notice is owed to an employee who has worked 90 days or less. From more than 90 days to under 2 years the minimum is 1 week, and it rises in steps to 8 weeks at 10 years or more.
An employer can meet the obligation with written notice, with termination pay in place of notice, or with a mix of the two, as long as the total covers the required period.
The minimum is not owed if you are dismissed for just cause, or when employment for a definite term or task of 12 months or less simply ends as agreed. The calculator counts service in whole months, so if you are within a few days of the 90-day line, check your exact dates.
For the full picture, including exceptions and how disputes are decided, read Alberta severance pay: the full guide. To compare another province, use the Canada severance calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Alberta have severance pay?
Not as a separate statutory entitlement. The Employment Standards Code requires termination notice or termination pay in lieu. Larger severance packages come from employment contracts or common-law reasonable notice.
How much notice do I get after 5 years in Alberta?
At least 4 weeks: the Code requires 4 weeks for service of 4 years to under 6 years.
Sources
Law checked against these sources as of 2026-09-26. This calculator estimates statutory minimums and a rough reasonable-notice range. It is general information, not legal advice, and RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm or a government body. For advice on your situation, consult an employment lawyer licensed in Alberta.
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