UK Notice Period Calculator
Enter your length of continuous service to see the statutory minimum notice period for both employer and employee. Free, instant, and calculated entirely in your browser; no email or phone number required.
Continuous service is time worked for the same employer without a break that resets it.
Employer's statutory minimum notice
3 weeks
Employee's statutory minimum notice
1 week
How the employer's minimum scales
| Length of service | Statutory minimum notice |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 month | None |
| 1 month up to 2 years | 1 week |
| 2 to 11 complete years | 1 week per complete year |
| 12 complete years or more | 12 weeks (capped) |
Under section 86 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 (Great Britain) and the identically worded Article 118 of the Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996, the employer must give at least 1 week's notice once an employee has 1 month's service, rising to 1 week per complete year of service between 2 and 12 years, capped at 12 weeks for 12 or more years. The employee's statutory minimum stays at 1 week once they have 1 month's service, however long they then stay. A written contract can require longer notice on either side, but it can never lawfully require less than these statutory minimums. This is an estimate of the statutory floor only; always check the actual notice clause in the contract of employment.
How Statutory Notice Periods Work
Section 86 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 sets a statutory floor for how much notice an employer must give before dismissing an employee in England, Scotland or Wales, based on how long that employee has worked there. In Northern Ireland the same rule is set by Article 118 of the Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996, which is worded identically, so the calculator gives the same result for all four UK nations:
- No statutory minimum with less than 1 month's service
- 1 week's notice once the employee has 1 month's service, up to 2 years
- 1 week's notice per complete year of service, from 2 up to 12 complete years
- 12 weeks' notice for 12 or more complete years of service (the maximum)
The employee's statutory minimum notice to the employer works differently: it stays at a flat 1 week once they have 1 month's service, however long they then remain employed. It does not scale up with years of service the way the employer's minimum does.
Contractual Notice Can Require More, Never Less
These are statutory minimums, not the final word. A written contract of employment can set a longer notice period for either party (for example, a fixed 3 months regardless of service length), and if it does, the longer contractual period applies. What a contract cannot lawfully do is require less notice than the statutory minimum calculated above; any clause that tries to is unenforceable to that extent. Always check the actual notice clause in the employment contract, not just this calculator, before relying on a figure. See the full notice periods guide for pay in lieu of notice (PILON), garden leave, and what happens when notice is not given.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum statutory notice period in the UK?
The statutory maximum an employer must give is 12 weeks, reached once an employee has 12 or more complete years of continuous service. It does not keep increasing beyond that.
Does the employee have to give the same notice as the employer?
No. The employer’s statutory minimum notice scales up with length of service (1 week per complete year, capped at 12 weeks). The employee’s statutory minimum stays at a flat 1 week once they have 1 month’s service, regardless of how many years they later work there.
Can my contract require less notice than the statutory minimum?
No. A contract can require more notice than the statutory minimum, but any clause requiring less than the statutory minimum is not enforceable; the statutory minimum still applies.
How is length of service counted for notice periods?
It is based on continuous service with the same employer, generally counted from the start date to the date notice is given, in complete months and years, without a break that resets continuity.
What if I have less than 1 month of service?
With less than 1 month’s service, there is normally no statutory minimum notice period for either side, though a contract may still set one.
Is the statutory notice period the same in Northern Ireland?
Yes. Northern Ireland has its own legislation (Article 118 of the Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996) rather than section 86 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, but the minimum notice periods it sets are the same: 1 week up to 2 years, 1 week per complete year from 2 to 12 years, and 12 weeks at 12 years or more, with a flat 1 week from the employee.
Does this tool store or send my information anywhere?
No. All of the math runs in your browser. Nothing you type into this calculator is saved, transmitted, or used to contact you.
This calculator estimates the statutory minimum notice period under section 86 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 (Great Britain) and Article 118 of the Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996. It is general information, not legal advice, and RecordingLaw.com is not affiliated with any UK government body. Always check the actual notice clause in a contract of employment, and take advice for a specific dispute.
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