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Labor Law

Must an Israeli employer give a written notice of employment terms?

Yes. The Notice to Employee and Job Candidate Law 5762-2002 requires every employer to give a new employee a written notice of the main employment terms within 30 days of starting work (7 days for a worker under 18). The notice must state the job, salary, working hours, the employer's pension contributions, and the identity of the parties. Failure to provide it can expose the employer to compensation of up to NIS 15,000 without the employee having to prove any damage.

Israeli law does not require a full written employment contract, but it does require a written notice of terms (hodaa al tnai avoda) under the 2002 Notice law. The notice must set out the start date, the job description and the employee's main duties, the rate and components of pay, the length of the normal working day and week, the employer's social-benefit contributions including pension, and the name of the employee's direct manager. Any later change to these terms must also be given to the employee in writing, generally within 30 days. The duty exists independently of any collective agreement and is designed to protect the employee's ability to prove the conditions they were promised.

For foreign workers, and for foreign companies employing staff in Israel, this is an easy obligation to overlook and a common basis for claims. A Regional Labor Court can award statutory compensation of up to NIS 15,000 for a missing or defective notice even where the employee suffered no financial loss, and the absence of a written notice frequently shifts the burden of proof onto the employer in later disputes about wages or hours. Providing a clear, signed notice or a full written contract at the outset is the simplest and cheapest protection for both sides. Our guide to employment law in Israel for foreigners covers the wider set of mandatory employer duties.

⚖ In Practice
  • Governing law: Notice to Employee and Job Candidate Law 5762-2002
  • Competent authority: Regional Labor Court (Beit Din Ezori La'Avoda); enforcement by the Ministry of Labor
  • Deadline: written notice within 30 days of starting work (7 days for a worker under 18)
  • Required contents: the parties, the job and duties, pay components, working hours, and the employer's pension and benefit contributions
  • Penalty: statutory compensation of up to NIS 15,000 without proof of damage

From the full guide: Employment Law in Israel for Foreign Companies and Expats

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Get a Free Consultation with Adv. Eli ShimonyPrepared under the direction of Adv. Eli Shimony, Eli Shimony Law Office · Editorial policy

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