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Severance calculator: what is owed and what to accrue
Cesantía is the severance owed when an employer dismisses without just cause. Estimate what is owed by years of service and what is worth setting aside.
Calculate
- Estimated severance
- ₡1,200,000
- Days of salary
- 60
- Daily salary base
- ₡20,000
Indicative calculation under current rules; it does not replace professional advice or an official figure.
How it is calculated
Article 29 of the Labour Code sets a scale of salary days per year of service, from 19.5 days in the first year up to 22 days between the seventh and ninth, with at most eight years recognised.
Three to six months of service pay seven days; six months to a year pay fourteen days; under three months there is no severance.
The base is the average salary of the last six months, divided by thirty for the daily salary. A fraction of a year pays proportionally.
Example
Example: three years of service with an average salary of ₡600,000 give 60 salary days, about ₡1,200,000 in severance.
Banker helps you set aside your team's severance month by month. Create account
Frequently asked questions
When is severance paid?
When the employer dismisses without just cause, when the employee leaves for a cause attributable to the employer, and in some pension or death cases. Voluntary resignation does not generate severance unless a collective agreement or company policy says so.
Is severance capped?
Yes. At most eight years of service are recognised, even when the person worked longer.
Does this calculator replace the Ministry of Labour?
No. It is an estimate using the article 29 scale. For an official figure use the Ministry of Labour and Social Security calculator or consult a professional.
What else goes into a final settlement?
Besides severance when it applies: notice pay, proportional aguinaldo, untaken vacation and pending salary.