Australia Notice Period Calculator
Enter your years of continuous service, age, and weekly pay to see your estimated National Employment Standards notice period, including the extra week for employees over 45. Free, instant, and calculated entirely in your browser; no sign-up.
Estimated statutory notice
2
weeks
$3,000.00
if paid in lieu of notice
At more than 1 year, up to 3 years, the National Employment Standards give 2 weeks of notice (Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) s 117(3)).
Over-45 loading does not apply here
The extra week only applies where the employee is over 45 (not 45 exactly) and has at least 2 years of continuous service at the date notice is given.
Notice and redundancy pay are separate
This tool only estimates notice of termination. If the dismissal is also a genuine redundancy, NES redundancy pay under s 119 can apply on top of notice, not instead of it.
This is a minimum, not the final word
The NES notice period is a statutory floor. A modern award, enterprise agreement or employment contract can set a longer notice period. Check your award or agreement before relying on this estimate.
Full NES notice schedule (s 117(3))
| Continuous service | Notice |
|---|---|
| Not more than 1 year | 1 week |
| More than 1 year, up to 3 years | 2 weeks |
| More than 3 years, up to 5 years | 3 weeks |
| More than 5 years | 4 weeks |
Add 1 week to any row above if the employee is over 45 with at least 2 years of continuous service.
This tool estimates the National Employment Standards minimum notice period only. It does not check award coverage, does not calculate an award or contractual notice period, and is not legal advice. RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm and is not affiliated with the Fair Work Commission or any Australian government body. Consult a legal practitioner admitted in the relevant Australian state or territory about your situation.
The Over-45 Loading
The base notice scale in the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) s 117(3) runs from 1 week for up to 1 year of service to 4 weeks for more than 5 years. On top of that base scale, an employee gets 1 extra week of notice if they are over 45 years old (not 45 exactly) and have at least 2 years of continuous service at the date notice is given. A 46-year-old with 3 years of service, for example, gets the 2-week base entitlement for 1 to 3 years of service, plus the 1-week loading, for 3 weeks total.
Notice and Redundancy Are Separate
Notice of termination and redundancy pay are two different NES entitlements, and both can apply to the same dismissal. If a role is made genuinely redundant, the employee is generally entitled to notice (or payment in lieu) under s 117 and redundancy pay under s 119, not one or the other. See redundancy pay in Australia and the Australia redundancy pay calculator for the separate redundancy figure, and notice of termination in Australia for the full explainer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the same as my award or contract notice period?
No. This tool only calculates the National Employment Standards minimum under s 117(3) of the Fair Work Act. A modern award, enterprise agreement or your employment contract can set a longer notice period, and if one applies to you it overrides this estimate. Check the relevant instrument before relying on this figure.
Does the over-45 loading apply to someone who turns 45 during their notice period?
The test is your age at the date notice is given, and it requires you to be over 45, not exactly 45. If you are 45 on the date notice is given, the loading does not yet apply; it applies once you are over that age at that date.
I have 18 months of service. Do I get any statutory notice?
Yes. The NES gives at least 1 week of notice with no minimum qualifying period beyond employment itself, rising to 2 weeks once you pass 1 year of continuous service. At 18 months you fall in the "more than 1 year, up to 3 years" band, so the estimate is 2 weeks (plus 1 more if the over-45 loading applies).
Can my employer pay me instead of giving me working notice?
Yes, an employer can make a payment in lieu of notice instead of requiring the employee to work out the notice period. This calculator's dollar figure estimates what that payment in lieu would be, based on the weekly pay you entered.
Does redundancy pay reduce my notice entitlement?
No. Notice of termination and redundancy pay are calculated separately and are not netted against each other under the National Employment Standards. Use this calculator for notice and the Australia redundancy pay calculator for the separate redundancy figure.
Does this tool store what I enter?
No. Everything runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is saved, transmitted, or used to contact you.
This calculator applies the National Employment Standards notice of termination schedule in the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) s 117(3), current as at 19 July 2026. It is a general estimate, not legal advice, and does not account for a modern award, enterprise agreement or contract that improves on the NES minimum. RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm and is not affiliated with the Fair Work Commission or any Australian government body. Consult a legal practitioner admitted in the relevant Australian state or territory about your situation.
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