Notice Period Calculator UK

Notice Period Calculator UK: Statutory Notice and Last Working Day

Work out the statutory minimum notice, compare it with the notice in the contract and see the last day of employment. This is general information for employees in Great Britain. It is not legal advice. Nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.

How the notice period is worked out

Statutory minimum notice from the employer

Statutory minimum notice from the employee

An employee who has worked for at least 1 month must give at least 1 week’s notice. This does not go up with service.

Contract notice

The contract can ask for more notice than the statutory minimum. It cannot give less. The calculator compares the two and uses the longer one.

When notice starts

GOV.UK says a notice period usually runs from the start of the day after notice is handed in. Acas says the same applies when an employer tells an employee in person. The calculator counts from the day after the date you enter. Two things can change this. The contract might say when notice starts. And where an employer gives notice in writing, Acas says notice starts when the employee has had a reasonable amount of time to read it. If either applies, enter the date notice took effect.

How this calculator counts service

Service is measured from the start date to the date notice is given. Section 86 bases statutory notice on the service the employee has when notice is given, so a work anniversary that falls during the notice period does not add a week. The calculator points out when this happens, because the extra year can count for other rights, such as statutory redundancy pay. A month or a year is complete on the same day number in a later month or year. For example, someone who started on 15 January has one month of service on 15 February. Where the later month has no such day, the last day of that month is used.

Worked example

An employee started on 1 September 2019. The employer gives notice on Monday 5 October 2026. Service is 7 years, 1 month and 4 days, which is 7 full years, so the statutory minimum is 7 weeks. The contract says 1 month. Seven weeks is longer, so statutory notice applies. Notice starts on Tuesday 6 October 2026 and the last day of employment is Monday 23 November 2026.

Sources: GOV.UK, notice periods, GOV.UK, giving notice, GOV.UK, payment during your notice period, Acas, notice periods, Acas, when the notice period starts, Acas, notice when resigning and Employment Rights Act 1996, section 86. Checked October 2026. Section 86 covers England, Wales and Scotland. Northern Ireland has its own legislation, which this page does not cover.

Questions about notice periods

If I give 4 weeks of notice, when is my last day at work?

Four weeks of notice normally starts the day after you hand it in and ends on the same day of the week four weeks later. If you hand in notice on Monday 5 October 2026, notice starts on Tuesday 6 October and your last day of employment is Monday 2 November 2026. If that day is not one of your working days, your last working day is earlier, but you stay employed until the end of the notice period. Your contract may say when notice starts.

How do you count a 3 month notice period?

Notice normally starts the day after it is given. Three months then ends on the same date three months after the day notice was given. Notice given on 5 October 2026 ends on 5 January 2027. Where the later month has no such date, it ends on the last day of that month, so notice given on 30 November 2026 ends on 28 February 2027. The calculator uses these rules.

How much notice do I legally have to give in the UK?

In Great Britain, the legal minimum for an employee who has worked for at least 1 month is 1 week, however long they have worked there. With less than 1 month of service there is no legal minimum unless the contract sets one. If your contract asks for more notice, you are bound by the contract. GOV.UK says you may be in breach of contract if you do not give enough notice.

Can I leave my job early if I have a 3-month notice period?

Usually only if your employer agrees. Acas suggests talking to your employer about options that work for both sides, such as a shorter notice period, using holiday you have left, or payment in lieu of notice, and putting any agreement in writing. Leaving before the end of your notice without agreement is likely to be a breach of contract. Acas says the exception is where the employer has seriously breached the employee’s contract.

What is the statutory minimum notice an employer must give?

For an employer in Great Britain, the statutory minimum is at least 1 week of notice if the employee has worked between 1 month and 2 years, 1 week for each full year between 2 and 12 years, and 12 weeks for 12 years or more. There is no statutory minimum under 1 month of service. Service is counted up to the day notice is given.

When does a notice period start?

GOV.UK says a notice period usually runs from the start of the day after notice is handed in. Acas says the same applies when an employer tells an employee in person that they are being dismissed or made redundant. The contract might set a different start. Where an employer gives notice in writing, Acas says notice starts when the employee has had a reasonable amount of time to read it.

What if the contract gives a different notice period from the statutory minimum?

The longer one applies. If the contract gives less than the statutory minimum, the statutory minimum applies. If the contract gives more, the contract applies.

What is payment in lieu of notice?

Payment in lieu of notice is a payment made in place of working the notice period, so employment ends straight away. GOV.UK says an employee can only get payment in lieu if it is in the contract or they agree to it. Where it is in the contract, the employer can end employment without notice and pay all the basic pay for the notice period, plus any extras the contract provides for.