Notice period calculator
Work out your statutory minimum notice period under section 86 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, and compare it to your contract.
Figures are correct to our knowledge against section 86 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 as at 22 August 2026, and are indicative only, not legal advice. Read how our figures are checked.
How much notice am I entitled to?
Once you have 1 month's continuous employment, the law guarantees at least 1 week's notice. From 2 years' service that rises by 1 week per full year, up to a maximum of 12 weeks, reached at 12 years' service. Your employer must give you at least this much, or your contractual notice if it is longer.
Statutory notice ready reckoner
Statutory minimum notice by full years of continuous employment.
| Years of service | Statutory minimum notice |
|---|---|
| 1 year | 1 week |
| 2 years | 2 weeks |
| 3 years | 3 weeks |
| 5 years | 5 weeks |
| 8 years | 8 weeks |
| 10 years | 10 weeks |
| 12 years | 12 weeks |
| 15 years | 12 weeks |
| 20 years | 12 weeks |
PILON and garden leave
Your employer does not have to make you work your notice. Instead they can pay it in lieu (PILON), ending your employment straight away, or put you on garden leave, keeping you employed and paid but away from work. Either way, the length of notice you are owed does not change. PILON has its own tax rules under the section 402D PENP formula: see our redundancy tax calculator for the taxable split.
Notice on redundancy
Being made redundant does not reduce your notice entitlement. You are still owed the greater of your statutory or contractual notice, on top of any statutory redundancy pay. See our redundancy calculator for your statutory redundancy figure, and our redundancy notice period guide for how notice and redundancy consultation interact.
Being asked to leave without proper notice?
If your employer is offering less notice than you are owed, or is putting pressure on you to accept a short PILON, our SRA-regulated solicitors review your position the same working day. It is free to you when your employer pays the fee, which is the case in nearly every UK settlement agreement.
Notice period: frequently asked questions
What is the statutory minimum notice period in the UK?
Under section 86 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, once you have 1 month's continuous employment you are entitled to at least 1 week's notice. From 2 years' continuous employment, that rises by 1 week per full year of service, up to a maximum of 12 weeks, reached at 12 years' service.
Does my contract's notice period override the statutory minimum?
Your contractual notice period applies if it is longer than the statutory minimum. If it is shorter, the statutory minimum still applies: a contract cannot lawfully give you less notice than section 86 requires.
What happens to my notice period if I am made redundant?
Redundancy does not change your notice entitlement: you are still owed the greater of your statutory or contractual notice. Your employer can ask you to work it, put you on garden leave, or pay it in lieu (PILON), but the length of notice owed stays the same either way.
What is the difference between PILON and garden leave?
PILON (payment in lieu of notice) ends your employment immediately and pays you for the notice period instead of you working it. Garden leave keeps you employed and paid for the notice period, but tells you not to attend work or work for anyone else. The tax treatment differs: PILON is taxed as general earnings under the PENP rules (see our redundancy tax calculator), while garden leave pay is simply ordinary salary.
Embed this figure
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<p style="margin:0 0 8px;font-size:13px;font-weight:600;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:.03em;color:#00727a;">Statutory minimum notice</p>
<p style="margin:0 0 8px;font-size:28px;font-weight:700;line-height:1.1;">1 week per year, capped at 12 weeks</p>
<p style="margin:0 0 14px;font-size:13px;color:#5b6b6a;">Employment Rights Act 1996 s.86: 1 week after 1 month's service, then 1 week per full year of continuous employment, up to the 12-week cap reached at 12 years. A longer contractual notice period always applies instead.</p>
<p style="margin:0;font-size:12px;color:#5b6b6a;">Source: <a href="https://settlement-advice.com/notice-period-calculator/" style="color:#00727a;text-decoration:underline;" rel="noopener">Settlement Advice, notice period calculator</a></p>
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Related guides
Correct to our knowledge as at 22 August 2026, indicative only, not legal advice. Read how our figures are checked.