UK Employment Law Tool
Notice Period Calculator UK
Calculate your UK statutory notice period, last working day, garden leave entitlement, and pay in lieu of notice (PILON). Covers UK notice period law under the Employment Rights Act 1996.
UK Notice Period Calculator
Enter your resignation date and notice period to find your last working day.
Used to show your UK statutory minimum notice alongside your contractual period.
Resignation Date
Notice Period (Contractual)
UK Statutory Minimum Notice
Last Working Day
Days Remaining
UK Statutory Notice Period Rules
The Employment Rights Act 1996 sets out the minimum notice entitlements for UK employees.
Employee Notice to Employer
As an employee, the statutory minimum you must give your employer is 1 week — provided you have been employed for at least 1 month. This applies regardless of how many years you have worked there. However, your employment contract may require more notice, and you are legally bound to honour the contractual period.
Key point:
The statutory minimum for employees is always 1 week (after 1 month). Contracts often specify 1 month or more.
Employer Notice to Employee
When an employer dismisses or makes an employee redundant, the statutory minimum notice is based on length of service. This protects employees from sudden termination.
| Years of Service | Minimum Notice |
|---|---|
| Under 1 month | None required |
| 1 month – 2 years | 1 week |
| 2 years | 2 weeks |
| 3 years | 3 weeks |
| 4 years | 4 weeks |
| 5–11 years | 1 week per year |
| 12+ years | 12 weeks (maximum) |
Contractual vs Statutory Notice
Your employment contract always takes precedence if it provides more notice than the statutory minimum. You cannot be offered less than the statutory minimum by contract — any such clause is unenforceable. When in doubt, take the higher of your contractual notice and the statutory minimum. Use our Notice Period Calculator to calculate the exact last working day for any notice length.
Employee Notice vs Employer Notice
UK notice period rules differ significantly depending on who is ending the employment.
Employee Resigning
- Statutory minimum: 1 week (after 1 month of employment)
- Most UK contracts specify 1 month or 3 months
- Notice must be given in writing (letter or email)
- Must honour the contractual period or risk breach of contract
- Employer can agree to an early release (waiving remaining notice)
Employer Terminating Employment
- Statutory minimum scales with years of service (1 week to 12 weeks)
- Applies to redundancy, dismissal, and most terminations
- Contract may specify longer notice than statutory minimum
- Employer can invoke PILON if the contract permits, paying instead of working
- Summary dismissal (without notice) only permitted for gross misconduct
What Happens If You Leave Without Giving Proper Notice?
If you leave without giving the contractual notice period, you may be in breach of contract. The employer can potentially sue for losses caused by your early departure — for example, agency costs to find a replacement quickly. In practice, legal action is rare for junior roles, but more likely for senior positions where the impact is significant. Leaving without notice can also affect your reference and final pay settlement.
Garden Leave Explained
Garden leave is a common UK employment arrangement during notice periods — particularly in financial services, law, and sales.
What Is Garden Leave?
Garden leave (also called gardening leave) is when your employer instructs you to stay at home during your notice period. You remain an employee — receiving full salary and benefits — but are not permitted to come to work or access company systems. The term originates from the idea that employees have time to "tend to their garden" while being paid.
Why Employers Use It
- Prevent the employee joining a competitor immediately
- Protect confidential client information and business relationships
- Prevent the employee poaching colleagues or clients
- Reduce disruption to the team during transition
Your Rights on Garden Leave
- Full salary and contractual benefits continue
- Holiday continues to accrue
- Employment end date remains the same as your last working day
- Cannot work for a competitor during the garden leave period
- Employer must have a contractual right to put you on garden leave
Garden Leave vs PILON
Garden leave and PILON are different: on garden leave, you remain an employee and receive pay as normal through payroll. With PILON, your employment ends immediately and you receive a lump sum payment for the notice period. Garden leave keeps restrictive covenants and confidentiality obligations in force throughout the period, while PILON ends the employment relationship immediately. Many senior contracts contain both provisions — the employer chooses which to apply.
Pay In Lieu Of Notice (PILON)
PILON allows your employment to end immediately by replacing your notice period with a cash payment.
How PILON Works
When an employer invokes PILON, your employment ends on the day they notify you. Instead of working your notice period, you receive a payment equivalent to the salary (and sometimes benefits) you would have earned during that period. This can happen when the employer doesn't want you on the premises or you have already accepted a competing role.
Tax Treatment of PILON (Post April 2018)
Since April 2018, all PILON payments are subject to income tax and National Insurance contributions, regardless of whether your contract contains a PILON clause. This removed the previous tax-free advantage for the first £30,000. PILON is processed through payroll and will appear on your P45. Any statutory redundancy pay (up to £30,000) remains tax-free.
What PILON Typically Includes
- Basic salary for the notice period — always included
- Contractual benefits — car allowance, health insurance (depends on contract)
- Discretionary bonuses — usually not included unless guaranteed in the contract
- Pension contributions — depends on contract wording
PILON Calculation Example
UK Notice Period Examples
Real-world UK notice period calculations across different service lengths and contract types.
UK Example 1
Statutory — 1 year of service
UK Example 2
Statutory — 5 years of service
UK Example 3
Statutory — 12+ years of service
UK Example 4
Contractual — 1 month notice
UK Example 5
Contractual — 3 months notice (senior role)
UK Example 6
Probation — 1 week statutory notice
Use the UK notice period calculator above to calculate your exact last working day for any notice length. For more general notice period examples, see our How to Calculate Notice Period guide.
Last Working Day Examples — UK
Common UK resignation scenarios with last working day calculations across different months.
| Resignation Date | Notice Period | Scenario | Last Working Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan 2025 | 1 week (7 days) | Statutory — under 2 years | 8 Jan 2025 |
| 1 Feb 2025 | 1 month (30 days) | Contractual — standard role | 3 Mar 2025 |
| 15 Mar 2025 | 4 weeks (28 days) | Statutory — 4 years service | 12 Apr 2025 |
| 1 Apr 2025 | 3 months (90 days) | Contractual — senior/manager | 30 Jun 2025 |
| 1 Jul 2025 | 6 months (182 days) | Contractual — C-suite/director | 30 Dec 2025 |
| 1 Oct 2025 | 12 weeks (84 days) | Statutory max — 12+ years | 24 Dec 2025 |
All calculations use calendar days. Your employment contract may specify working days instead — always check the wording. Use the calculator at the top of this page for your exact date. For 1-month UK notice specifically, see our 1 Month Notice Period Calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions — UK Notice Period
Common questions about UK notice period law, garden leave, and PILON.
Calculate your UK notice period now
Enter your resignation date and notice period length — get your exact last working day instantly. No signup required.