Notice Period Calculator
Use this notice period calculator to work out how much notice must be given under UK law. Enter who is giving notice, the employment start date and what the contract says, and the calculator compares the statutory minimum with the contract period and shows the earliest last working day.
The statutory minimum is different in each direction.
The employee's first day of employment.
Notice starts running from the day after this date.
Enter 0 if the contract gives no notice period. Months are converted at 52 ÷ 12 ≈ 4.33 weeks per month.
Your result
Sunday, 20 December 2026
Earliest last working day
- Length of service:
- 5 complete years and 10 complete months at the date notice is given.
- Statutory minimum notice:
- 5 weeks — the employer's minimum under the Employment Rights Act 1996, based on complete years of service.
- Contract notice:
- 4 weeks.
- Notice that applies:
- 5 weeks (35 days) — the statutory minimum is longer than the contract period, so the statutory minimum wins.
The notice period runs from the day after notice is given, so the earliest last working day is the notice date plus the full notice period. Either side can agree a longer period than the minimum.
Opens your browser's print view with a clean summary of this calculation — choose “Save as PDF” there to keep a copy.
Employers: a leaver is easier to handle when the final working day, accrued leave and handover notes sit in one employee record. Compare the best HR systems for UK employers if you are choosing software to manage those processes.
How much notice does my employer have to give me?
Under section 86 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, an employer must give at least one week's notice once an employee has a month's service. From two years' service the minimum rises by one week for every complete year worked, up to a maximum of 12 weeks at twelve years. With under a month's service there is no statutory minimum, and the contract decides.
| Length of service | Employer's statutory minimum |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 month | No statutory minimum |
| 1 month to 2 years | 1 week |
| 2 years | 2 weeks |
| 3 years | 3 weeks |
| Each further complete year | 1 extra week |
| 12 years or more | 12 weeks (the maximum) |
How much notice do I have to give my employer?
An employee's statutory minimum is simpler: once you have one month's service, you must give at least one week's notice, and it does not rise with length of service. With under a month's service there is no statutory minimum. In practice the figure that matters is usually in the contract, which often asks for a month or more — and because the longer of the two applies, a longer contract period is the one that binds you.
What if my contract says a longer notice period?
Then the contract period is the one that applies. The statutory minimum is a floor, not a ceiling: the effective notice is always the longer of the contract period and the statutory minimum, in whichever direction notice is given. A contract can also never shorten notice below the statutory floor — if it tries to, the statutory minimum replaces it. Where a contract states notice in months, this calculator converts months to weeks at 52 ÷ 12 (about 4.33 weeks per month), the standard way of spreading a month across the year.
When does a notice period start?
A notice period starts on the day after notice is given — the day notice is handed over does not itself count. The period then runs for the full number of weeks that apply, so the earliest last working day is the date notice is given plus the effective notice period. Notice can be given on any day of the week; it does not have to line up with the start of a working week or a pay period.
What are payment in lieu of notice and garden leave?
Payment in lieu of notice (PILON) means the employment ends immediately and the employee is paid the salary for the notice period instead of working it.
Garden leave means the employee stays employed and paid during the notice period but is asked not to come to work or contact clients until it ends.
Either side can also simply agree a longer notice period than the minimum — nothing in the statutory rules prevents a longer period by agreement. This page is general guidance on how the minimums work, not legal advice for a specific situation.
Frequently asked questions
Does a notice period start on the day notice is given?
No. A notice period starts running on the day after notice is given. If notice is given on a Monday with one week to run, the period runs from Tuesday and the last working day is the following Monday — which is why this calculator adds the full notice period to the date notice is given.
Can a contract give less notice than the statutory minimum?
A contract can say a shorter period, but it cannot take away the statutory minimum. If the contract says two weeks and the law requires five, five weeks is what must be given. The longer of the contract period and the statutory minimum always applies.
How much notice does an employer have to give after 10 years?
Ten complete years of service means a statutory minimum of 10 weeks' notice from the employer — one week for each complete year. The minimum rises by a week per year until it reaches the maximum of 12 weeks at 12 years' service.
What is payment in lieu of notice (PILON)?
Payment in lieu of notice is where the employment ends straight away and the employee is paid the salary they would have earned during the notice period instead of working it. It is only available if the contract allows it (or it is agreed), and the payment is taxed like normal pay.
Does the statutory minimum apply during a probationary period?
Yes. Probation does not remove the statutory minimums: once an employee has one month's service, an employer must give at least one week's notice and the employee must give at least one week's notice, whatever the contract's probationary terms say. Many contracts set a shorter probationary notice period, but it cannot go below the statutory floor.