UK · Employment Rights
Free Notice Period Calculator UK 2026
Calculate your statutory notice period based on length of service under the Employment Rights Act 1996. · Verified from gov.uk
Reviewed by Abdul Rafay (verified against ERA 1996 s.86 and gov.uk) · Published May 2026 · Last verified: May 2026
You will need: your employment start date, who is giving notice, and the date notice is being given.
Service: 5 years
Estimate only · Verify at gov.uk
How Notice Periods Are Calculated in the UK
Under the Employment Rights Act 1996, UK employers must give at least 1 week of notice per complete year of service, capped at 12 weeks. Employees resigning give a flat 1 week minimum once they have passed 1 month of continuous employment.
Resignation vs. dismissal: the notice formula differs
If you are resigning, your statutory minimum is usually 1 week after 1 month of service. It is only when your employer dismisses you that notice scales: 1 week from 1 month to under 2 years, then 1 week per complete year of service, up to 12 weeks.
Employer giving notice
1 week after 1 month, then 1 week per full year. Maximum 12 weeks.
Employee resigning
1 week after 1 month. It does not increase with years of service.
| Length of service | Employer giving notice | Employee resigning |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 month | None | None |
| 1 month to 2 years | 1 week | 1 week |
| 2 years | 2 weeks | 1 week |
| 3 years | 3 weeks | 1 week |
| 5 years | 5 weeks | 1 week |
| 10 years | 10 weeks | 1 week |
| 12+ years | 12 weeks (max) | 1 week |
Edge cases
UK Statutory Notice Period Rules
- 01
Contractual notice overrides statutory
Your employment contract may specify a longer notice period: 1 month, 3 months, or more. That higher figure always applies. An employer cannot give you less than the statutory minimum, but both parties can agree to more.
- 02
Payment in lieu of notice (PILON) ends employment immediately
If your contract includes a PILON clause, your employer can end your employment immediately and pay you the equivalent of your notice period salary. You do not need to work the notice period.
- 03
On garden leave you are paid in full but not required to work
Your employer can tell you not to come in during your notice period but must still pay you in full, including all contractual benefits. You remain an employee throughout and cannot start a new job unless the garden leave clause in your contract permits it.
- 04
Gross misconduct dismissal requires no notice
This bypasses both statutory and contractual notice entirely, including any PILON or garden leave provisions. The employer still owes wages already earned up to the date of dismissal.
- 05
Both parties can agree in writing to waive or shorten notice
Both parties can agree to reduce or waive the notice period. This should be put in writing (an email is sufficient). Without agreement, either side walking away early risks a breach of contract claim.
- 06
The same statutory formula applies across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland
England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland use the same formula. Northern Ireland operates under the Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996, with identical thresholds and caps.
gov.uk · ERA 1996 s.86 · Last verified: May 2026
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