Notice period Morocco 2026: 8 days to 3 months by role

The notice period Morocco sets for employees and workers is 8 days under one year of service, 1 month from 1 to 5 years and 2 months beyond; for managers and equivalent staff (cadres) it is 1 month, 2 months and then 3 months (Decree n° 2-04-469 of 29 December 2004, implementing Article 43 of the Labour Code, Law n° 65-99). These durations bind the employer who dismisses and the employee who resigns from an open-ended contract (CDI), except for serious misconduct or force majeure. Notice that is not served must be paid: the party ending the contract owes pay in lieu equal to the salary for the missing period (Article 51). The durations are unchanged in 2026; this article is up to date as of 4 November 2026.

In brief

• Who: every employee on a CDI, whether they resign or are dismissed. A fixed-term contract (CDD) has no notice: it ends on its end date.
• How long: 8 days to 2 months for employees and workers, 1 to 3 months for managers, depending on service.
• Floor: never less than 8 days; any clause shorter than the decree is void (Article 43).
• Start: the day after the termination is notified (Article 44).
• Job-search hours: 2 paid hours a day, capped at 8 hours a week and 30 hours over 30 days (Article 49).
• Notice not served: pay in lieu equal to the salary for the missing period (Article 51).

Notice period Morocco: the Decree 2-04-469 table

These are minimums. The employment contract, the collective agreement, the internal rules or custom may provide for longer notice, never shorter (Articles 11 and 43). The 2004 decree replaced the order of 13 August 1951 on notice periods.

Manager, employee or worker: which column?

The Labour Code does not define these categories. Use the classification in the collective agreement or the internal grade structure, failing that the duties actually performed: management, autonomy, level of responsibility. A “head of” with no team and no delegated authority may fall under employees; state the category in the contract to avoid the argument at exit time.

Notice period Morocco on resignation

An employee on a CDI may resign at any time, by a letter bearing their signature certified by the competent authority (Article 34). Their only obligation is to serve the notice period Morocco sets for their category. During notice, both sides keep performing the contract (Article 47): the employee works, the employer pays.

• The employee leaves without serving notice: they owe the employer an amount equal to the salary for the period not worked (Article 51).
• The employer waives the notice: the employer gives it up; in practice it pays the waived period unless otherwise agreed in writing.
• A new employer who poaches an employee still under notice may be jointly liable for the damage caused to the former employer (Article 42).

Notice period Morocco on dismissal

Except for serious misconduct, an employer dismissing a CDI employee owes the notice set by the decree, on top of severance pay and untaken leave. Serious misconduct, listed in Article 39 (theft, breach of trust, unjustified absence of more than four days in twelve months, deliberate refusal to work…), removes notice and severance (Article 61), provided the hearing procedure of Articles 62 to 64 is followed.

Notice replaces no other payment. The full exit calculation is set out in our guide to severance pay in Morocco.

When notice is suspended

Notice stops running during temporary incapacity caused by a workplace accident or occupational disease, and during maternity leave (Article 45). It then resumes for the remaining time. These absences are covered in our pages on workplace accidents in Morocco and maternity leave in Morocco.

During the probation period

Before probation ends, the decree does not apply: termination is free in the first week, then requires 2 days (employee paid by the day, week or fortnight) or 8 days (employee paid monthly), except for serious misconduct (Article 13). See our guide to the probation period in Morocco.

Notice period Morocco not served: pay in lieu

Any termination of a CDI without notice, or without full notice, obliges the responsible party, except for serious misconduct, to pay the other an amount equal to the pay the employee would have received had they stayed in post (Article 51). It is therefore based on the usual gross salary: base pay, fixed bonuses, regular benefits. In payroll it is salary: it bears social contributions and income tax (IR) like an ordinary month, unlike severance pay, which is exempt within certain limits.

Example 1: manager dismissed and released from notice

As an illustration, take a chief accountant (manager) with 4 years of service, paid 15,000 DH gross a month, dismissed for a non-disciplinary reason and released from notice.

Example 2: employee who resigns and leaves early

Again as an illustration, a technician (employee) with 7 years of service, paid 6,000 DH gross, resigns. Their notice is 2 months; they serve only one, without the employer’s agreement. They owe one month, i.e. 6,000 DH, which the employer may claim. Had they been released in writing, they would owe nothing.

Notice period Morocco: time off to look for a job

During notice, the employee is entitled to time off to look for another job, paid as actual working time whatever the pay method (Article 48):

• General rule: 2 hours a day, up to 8 hours a week and 30 hours over 30 consecutive days (Article 49).
• Workplace more than 10 km from a town with municipal status: 4 consecutive hours twice a week, or 8 consecutive hours once a week (Article 49).
• Scheduling: agreed by both sides, failing that alternately at the employee’s and then the employer’s choice (Article 50).
• End of the right: as soon as the employee finds a job, which they must report, or stops using the time to look for one (Article 50).

The text does not distinguish resignation from dismissal: it refers to “the employee” during notice. For an employee paid 6,000 DH on the usual basis of 191 hours a month, 30 hours of time off represent, as an illustration, 942.41 DH of maintained salary. Track these hours: time and attendance software in Morocco keeps them apart from ordinary absences.

Common mistakes on notice in Morocco

• Applying notice to a CDD: a fixed-term contract ends on its end date; early termination is settled by damages (Article 33). See our guide to the fixed-term contract in Morocco.
• Starting the clock on the letter date: notice runs from the day after notification (Article 44).
• Forgetting service: an employee crossing the 5-year mark doubles their notice, from one month to two.
• Writing “8 days” for a manager: the clause is void, the decree applies.
• Paying notice without contributions: pay in lieu remains salary.
• Not suspending notice during a workplace accident or maternity leave.

End of notice: documents and final pay

When notice ends, the employer issues the final payslip in Morocco (notice salary or pay in lieu, untaken leave), hands over the work certificate within 8 days (Article 72) and a detailed final settlement receipt (Articles 73 to 75). Untaken leave is always due, whatever the reason for leaving (Article 254): see leave management in Morocco. To convert gross to net, use our free payroll simulators, and find all our guides in payroll in Morocco.

HR and payroll software for Morocco works out the end date from category and service, suspends the clock after a workplace accident and produces the exit documents.

Frequently asked questions

What is the notice period Morocco sets for an employee?

8 days under one year of service, 1 month from 1 to 5 years, 2 months beyond 5 years (Decree n° 2-04-469 of 2004), unless the contract or collective agreement is more generous.

What is the notice period Morocco sets for a manager?

1 month under one year, 2 months from 1 to 5 years, 3 months beyond 5 years.

Does notice apply to resignation?

Yes. An employee resigning from a CDI serves the same notice as an employer who dismisses (Articles 34 and 43). Leaving early without agreement triggers the Article 51 payment.

How is pay in lieu of notice calculated?

It equals the salary the employee would have received for the period not served (Article 51): 2 months not served on a 10,000 DH salary give 20,000 DH gross, subject to contributions and IR.

Can notice be waived?

Yes, by agreement. Notice is not owed in case of serious misconduct by the other party or force majeure (Article 43).

How many hours to look for a job during notice?

2 paid hours a day, capped at 8 hours a week and 30 hours over 30 days; 4 or 8 grouped hours if the workplace is more than 10 km from a town (Article 49).

Does the notice period Morocco run during sick leave?

The Code suspends notice only for workplace accidents, occupational diseases and maternity leave (Article 45). For ordinary illness, have the position reviewed case by case.

Where can I read the texts?

Articles 43 to 51 are in the consolidated Labour Code published by the Ministry of Justice (in French); Decree n° 2-04-469 was published in Official Bulletin n° 5280 of 6 January 2005. Our page on the Morocco labour code places them in context.

Key takeaways

• The notice period Morocco ranges from 8 days to 2 months for employees and workers, and from 1 to 3 months for managers, by service.
• It applies to resignation and dismissal from a CDI, except for serious misconduct or force majeure.
• It runs from the day after notification and is suspended during a workplace accident or maternity leave.
• Notice not served: pay in lieu equal to the salary for the period, subject to contributions.
• The employee has 2 paid hours a day to look for a job, up to 30 hours over 30 days.

To handle every exit without errors, from the end date to the final settlement, book a Socium demo.