A comparative look at dismissal costs and issues across Europe

Some of the survey’s key findings include:

• Dismissal costs in surveyed countries differ substantially
• Generally, dismissal costs in Western-Europe are higher than Central-Europe.
• Dismissal costs are highest when an employee is dismissed without reason
• In most countries, the legal grounds for an employer to dismiss employees are restricted and subject to strict formalities
• In general, there is little or no difference in the cost of dismissal for individual reasons, compared to dismissal for economic reasons
• Since the last International Dismissal Survey, some countries have substantially changed their dismissal regulations, in response to court decisions, or for simplification and increase of labor flexibility
• In all surveyed countries, seniority within the company is the key factor in determining the level of dismissal cost