Renewals and notice
What is a contract notice period, and when is yours?
A notice period is how far ahead you must tell the other side you won't renew. Miss it and the contract usually rolls over, often for another full term.
The date that matters isn't the renewal date. It's the renewal date minus the notice period. A contract renewing July 1 with 90 days' notice really has to be decided by early April.
How to work out your deadline
Start with the renewal date, not the date the contract was signed. Find the end of the current term in the term section, then check every amendment, because an amendment can move the end date or start a new term.
Next, find the notice period and read the exact words. Most say something like 'at least 60 days before the end of the then-current term.' Count back that many calendar days unless the contract says business days.
Then check how notice must be delivered. If it has to go by certified mail, or only counts once it's received, give yourself another week or two.
A worked example
Say a staffing agreement renews on March 1, 2027 and requires 90 days' written notice. March 1 minus 90 days is December 1, 2026. That's the last day, and it lands right after Thanksgiving, when people are out.
If notice has to reach the vendor's legal department by certified mail, plan to send it by mid-November. And if you want quotes from other staffing companies before you decide, the real work starts in September or October.
That's the pattern for most contracts: the date on the cover page is months later than the date you actually have to act.
What usually goes wrong
Counting from the wrong date. The signed date, the effective date and the go-live date can all differ, and the term runs from one of them in particular.
Missing a window. Some contracts only accept notice inside a range, for example no more than 120 and no less than 60 days before renewal. Notice sent too early may not count.
Sending it to the wrong place. The notice section often names an address or a title that's years out of date. Confirm where it goes, and keep proof of what you sent and when.
What to watch
How many days' notice does the contract require?
30, 60, 90 and 120 days are all common, and they can differ on contracts with the same vendor.
Does an amendment change the notice period?
The original contract may say 60 days while a later amendment says 90. The newest signed language is the one to check.
How must notice be given?
Some contracts require certified mail to a named address. An email to your rep may not count.
Calendar days or business days?
Most contracts mean calendar days. If yours says business days, the deadline comes earlier than you'd think.
Does notice count when it's sent or when it's received?
If it counts on receipt, mail time eats into your window.
Is the deadline written down anywhere besides the contract?
If the date only lives in a PDF, nobody will see it coming.
How Sapphires helps
- Each contract keeps its notice period, 60 days unless you change it, and Sapphires works out the last day to give notice from the next renewal date.
- The renewal date rolls forward after each term, including for month-to-month contracts and ones that run until cancelled.
- Notice deadlines sit on one calendar alongside renewals and end dates.
- Upload the contract as a PDF or Word file and Sapphires reads the dates, renewal term and notice period as a draft for you to check before anything is saved.