How much statutory notice must a UK employer give?

Under section 86 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, an employer must give one week's notice for one month to under two years of service, then one week for each complete year, up to a maximum of twelve weeks at twelve or more years of service.

How much notice must an employee give?

An employee who has been continuously employed for one month or more must give at least one week's notice. That statutory minimum does not increase with length of service — only the employer-side notice scales up with years worked.

Does the contract override statutory notice?

A contract can set a longer notice period and then that longer period applies, but a contract cannot reduce notice below the statutory minimum. The tool flags whichever is greater so you apply the correct figure.

Is there notice for under one month of service?

Generally no statutory notice is required if the employee has been employed for less than one month, though a contractual notice clause may still apply. Always check the written contract.

Can notice be paid instead of worked?

Yes. With a pay in lieu of notice (PILON) clause, the employer can pay the equivalent wages rather than have the employee work the notice. Statutory notice rights still set the minimum period that must be paid.

UK Statutory Notice Period Calculator

The UK Statutory Notice Period Calculator works out the minimum notice required to end an employment relationship under section 86 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 (ERA). The rule is asymmetric: the employer-side minimum grows with length of service, while the employee-side minimum is a flat one week regardless of how long they have worked.

How it works

When the employer gives notice, the statutory minimum is:

1 month to < 2 years   → 1 week
2 years (each complete) → 1 week per complete year
12 years or more        → 12 weeks (the cap)

So an employee with 5 complete years of service is entitled to 5 weeks of notice from the employer; one with 15 years still gets only the capped 12 weeks. Statutory notice counts complete years only — part-years are ignored for this calculation.

When the employee resigns, section 86 requires just one week’s notice once they have been employed for one month or more, and this does not rise with service.

A contract may specify a longer notice period, in which case the longer figure applies — but a contract can never go below the statutory minimum. The tool compares the statutory figure with any contractual period you enter and tells you which governs.

Example and notes

An employee dismissed after 7 complete years is owed 7 weeks of employer notice. If their contract specifies 3 months (about 13 weeks), the contractual period wins because it is more generous. If the contract said only 2 weeks, the statutory 7 weeks would override it. Notice can be worked or paid in lieu (PILON) where the contract allows. This tool gives the statutory floor and is not a substitute for legal advice; unfair-dismissal and redundancy rights are separate. All calculations run locally in your browser.