Quick summary: Free dismissal letter in Word (text in Spanish) with two options: A, dismissal for a just cause under Labor Code Art. 77, naming the letter(s) of the article and the facts; B, dismissal without cause, acknowledging Art. 82 severance. Art. 78 makes a just-cause dismissal effective when the employer communicates it in writing stating the cause and the worker stops working. The employer has 20 business days from the cause to act (Art. 259); the worker has 30 business days to challenge it (Art. 260).
Download the Termination Letter Template (Word)
Same template as the Spanish version of this page. The letter is in Spanish; this page explains each part in English. For the law on justified and unjustified dismissal itself, read termination with vs without just cause; this page is about the letter.
Dismissal Letter (Carta de Despido) — Guatemala 2026
⬇ Download Word template (.docx, Spanish)Editable · Works with Microsoft Word, Google Docs and LibreOffice · Free
What Article 78 Requires of the Letter
Art. 78 (as amended by Decreto 64-92) says a termination for one or more of the Art. 77 causes “surte efectos desde que el patrono lo comunique por escrito al trabajador indicándole la causa del despido y éste cese efectivamente sus labores”. Two things follow for the letter: it must be written, and it must state the cause.
The same article lets the worker take the employer to the Labor and Social Welfare Courts to make it prove the cause. If the employer does not prove it, it pays (a) the severance the Code grants and (b) “A título de daños y perjuicios, los salarios que el trabajador ha dejado de percibir desde el momento del despido hasta el pago de su indemnización, hasta un máximo de doce (12) meses de salario y las costas judiciales.”
| Template part | What you write | Rule behind it |
|---|---|---|
| Place and date | Where and when the letter is issued | Date of the written communication (Art. 78) |
| Worker | Full name and position | Identifies who is notified |
| Termination date | Day, month and year the relationship ends | Effect requires notice plus the worker stopping work (Art. 78) |
| Option A: just cause | Letter(s) of Art. 77 and the facts, with dates | Writing plus the cause (Art. 78) |
| Option B: without cause | Statement that the employer pays Art. 82 severance and other legal payments | Severance for unjustified dismissal (Art. 82) |
| Payments paragraph | Lists pending salary, unused vacation, proportional aguinaldo and Bono 14, and the Art. 87 work certificate | Art. 87 work certificate |
| Signatures | Employer or legal representative (signature and seal); worker’s receipt (signature, DPI, date) | Proof of delivery |
Option A or Option B
| Option A: just cause | Option B: without cause | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal basis | Art. 77 causes, communicated under Art. 78 | Art. 82 |
| Severance | None, if the cause is proven | One month’s salary per year of continuous service, proportional under a year |
| If challenged and the cause is not proven | Severance plus lost wages up to 12 months and court costs (Art. 78) | Not applicable: severance is already acknowledged |
| Severance base | Average salary of the last six months, or the time worked if shorter (Art. 82(b)) |
Art. 82 applies when “el contrato de trabajo por tiempo indeterminado concluye una vez transcurrido el período de prueba” and sets “una indemnización por tiempo servido equivalente a un mes de salario por cada año de servicios continuos y si los servicios no alcanzan a un año, en forma proporcional al plazo trabajado”. To estimate the amount, use the severance calculator.
The Art. 77 Causes You Can Name
Option A asks for the letter (literal) of Art. 77. Short English summaries of the captured text:
| Letter | Cause (summary) |
|---|---|
| a | Openly immoral conduct at work, or insults, slander or physical aggression against the employer or its representatives |
| b | The same acts against a coworker during work, if discipline is seriously disrupted or work is interrupted |
| c | The same acts against the employer outside the workplace during working hours, unprovoked, making working together impossible |
| d | A crime or offense against the property of the employer, coworkers or a third party inside the establishment; or intentional or negligent material damage to machines, tools, materials or products |
| e | Revealing the secrets referred to in Art. 63(g) |
| f | Missing work without permission or justified cause for two full consecutive working days, or six half-days in the same calendar month |
| g | Manifest refusal to adopt safety measures or procedures, or to follow clear instructions for efficiency |
| h | Breaking the Art. 64 prohibitions or the approved internal work rules “después de que el patrono lo aperciba una vez por escrito” (no warning needed for drunkenness that endangers people or property) |
| i | Misleading the employer at hiring about qualities or knowledge, false references, or work that clearly shows incapacity |
| j | A final sentence of arresto mayor or prisión correccional |
| k | Any other serious breach of the obligations the contract imposes |
Deadlines That Apply to the Letter
| Who | Deadline | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Employer, to dismiss for just cause | “Los derechos de los patronos para despedir justificadamente a los trabajadores o para disciplinar sus faltas, prescriben en veinte días hábiles, que comienzan a correr desde que se dio causa para la terminación del contrato” | Art. 259 |
| Employer, to invoke a written warning under Art. 77(h) | One year | Art. 259 |
| Worker, to challenge the dismissal | 30 business days from the end of the contract | Art. 260 (amended by Decreto 18-2001) |
Workers With Special Protection
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding. Art. 151 prohibits employers from “Despedir a las trabajadoras que estuvieren en estado de embarazo o período de lactancia, quienes gozan de inamovilidad.” For a serious fault, the employer must process the dismissal before the labor courts, prove the fault, and cannot make it effective without the court’s express written authorization. The worker is provisionally protected once she notifies the employer and must provide a medical certificate within two months (Art. 151(d)).
- Workers forming a union. Art. 209: they may not be dismissed for taking part in forming a union and have job security from the moment they notify the Labor Inspectorate in writing until sixty days after the union is registered.
For Foreign Employers: Signing and Delivering
- Who signs. The template’s signature block is for the employer or its legal representative, with signature and seal. A company writes its legal name in the employer blank of the notice paragraph.
- Form. Art. 78 requires writing and the cause; it does not mention a notary.
- Receipt. The second signature block is the worker’s receipt: signature, DPI and date. The template’s employer note says to deliver it with a witness, keep the signed copy, and, if the worker refuses to sign, record the refusal before two witnesses.
- Work certificate. Art. 87 requires the employer, when any contract ends, to give the worker a document stating the start and end dates, the type of work and the ordinary and overtime salary of the last pay period; if the worker asks, it also states how they worked and the cause of termination.
What the Template Does Not Do
- It does not calculate severance or the final settlement. See the severance calculator and the final settlement (finiquito) guide.
- It is not for a worker who resigns or ends the contract for the employer’s fault (indirect dismissal, Arts. 79-80); those are communicated by the worker.
- It does not replace the court authorization Art. 151 requires to dismiss a pregnant or breastfeeding worker, and it does not override the Art. 209 protection for workers forming a union.
Related Pages
- Termination with vs without just cause: the worker-side explanation of the law
- Employment contract template
- Severance calculator
- Final settlement (finiquito)
- All trámites
Sources
- Labor Code of Guatemala (Decreto 1441), Arts. 76-78, 82, 87, 151, 209, 259-260: CENADOJ / Organismo Judicial PDF, captured September 26, 2026.
- Template text: the Word file linked above, read October 9, 2026.
This page explains the template and quotes the Labor Code text. It is general information, not legal advice for a specific dismissal.