Notice periods in Italy: why your hire can't start next week

You found the right person. They said yes. Now you want them to start next week.

They can’t. In Italy, a person who leaves a job must work through a notice period. This is normal, and it is the law and the contract, not a negotiating tactic. Plan for it from the start and it costs you nothing. Ignore it and your project timeline slips.

Why notice exists  

In the US, many founders are used to at-will employment. Someone gives short notice, or none, and moves on. Italy works differently. Employment is a protected relationship. Both sides owe each other a defined period of warning when the relationship ends.

For the employee, this means they stay on the payroll of their current employer and keep working until the notice period ends. They cannot simply walk out. If they do, their current employer can claim an indemnity in place of the missed notice. A good candidate knows this and will not take that risk for you.

What decides the length  

There is no single number that applies to everyone. The length depends on several things:

• The national collective agreement (CCNL) that covers the candidate’s current employer. Each sector has its own.
• The candidate’s job level and category. Senior staff and managers usually owe more notice than junior staff.
• Seniority. Longer service with the current employer often means a longer period.
• The individual contract. It can add terms, within what the collective agreement allows.

This is why you should ask every finalist the same question early: what does your current contract and collective agreement say about notice? Do not guess from the job title. Ask for the actual terms.

Why you can’t buy your way out  

Founders often ask if they can pay the candidate to start sooner. Sometimes the current employer agrees to a shorter period. That is their choice, and it happens by mutual agreement. You cannot force it.

The candidate can also offer to pay the employer an amount in place of working the notice. That is the candidate’s decision and money. Do not assume your new hire will do it, and do not pressure them to.

A candidate who is willing to burn the bridge for you is also telling you something about how they treat commitments. Most strong hires prefer to leave cleanly.

Why this helps you  

Notice is not only a delay. It protects you too. When your new hire leaves in the same way later, you get the same warning. You get time to hand over work, hire a replacement and keep your team stable.

It also means the candidate arrives with a clean exit. Their former employer has no open claim against them. That lowers legal and reputational risk for your company.

How to plan the start date  

Build notice into the hiring plan from day one.

1. Ask about notice in the first conversations. Make it a standard screening question, not an afterthought.
2. Get the terms in writing. Ask the candidate to confirm the notice period in their current contract.
3. Count from the resignation date, not the offer date. The clock starts only when the candidate formally resigns. Some candidates wait for a signed contract before they resign. That is reasonable. Make your paperwork fast.
4. Sign quickly. Every day you take to issue the contract is a day added to the start date.
5. Agree on a target start date in the offer. Make it conditional on the notice running its course.
6. Keep in touch during notice. Share onboarding material, introduce the team and set up equipment so the person is productive on day one.

What the candidate can and cannot do for you  

During notice, the candidate still works for their current employer. They owe that employer their time and loyalty. Do not ask them to start part-time work for you, join client calls or share confidential information from their current job.

What is fine: meeting your team informally, reading your documentation, completing background forms and agreeing on goals for the first months.

Check the contract before you promise a date  

If you tell your own team or your customers that the new hire starts on a specific day, confirm the notice terms first. A promised date that turns out to be impossible hurts your credibility with your own people.

If you use an Employer of Record (EOR), your provider can review the candidate’s notice terms, draft the offer around them and have the contract ready the moment the candidate is free to sign. That removes the delays on your side and leaves only the notice itself.

The practical rule  

Treat notice as a fixed part of the timeline, like a visa or a procurement cycle. Ask early, document it, and set the start date around it. Your hire will arrive with a clean record, and your team will know exactly when to expect them.

Want to see what an Italian hire will cost you? Try the cost calculator.