Notice period calculator
Your minimum statutory notice vs your contractual notice — for the UK and Canada, whichever is greater.
Minimum notice you are entitled to
- Statutory minimum notice
- 4 weeks
- Contractual notice
- Not specified
- Notice that applies
- 4 weeks
- This is the minimum notice your employer must give you. The notice you give them may differ — check your contract.
Statutory vs contractual notice
Your notice period is whichever is greater: the statutory minimum set by law, or the contractual notice written into your employment contract. This calculator works out both and shows you which one applies, for the UK and for Canada's Ontario baseline.
In the UK, the statutory minimum your employer must give you starts at one week after a month of employment, then rises by one week for every complete year you have worked, up to a ceiling of twelve weeks at twelve years' service. A contract can improve on this but can never undercut it. In Canada, provincial employment-standards rules set a comparable sliding scale, commonly one week per year up to eight weeks.
How the notice is served also matters. Your employer can ask you to work it, place you on garden leave — paid, but away from the workplace — or end it early with payment in lieu of notice. All three keep you paid for the full period; the difference is whether you attend work and when your employment formally ends, which can affect your continuous-service date for other entitlements.
Knowing your correct notice matters whether you are resigning or being let go — it affects your final pay, your leaving date and any payment in lieu. Download the PDF to keep a dated record of the figures.
Frequently asked questions
How much notice is my employer required to give me?
In the UK, the statutory minimum is one week's notice once you have been employed for one month, then one week for each complete year of service up to a maximum of 12 weeks. Your contract may give more, in which case the higher figure applies.
Can my contract give less notice than the statutory minimum?
No. A contract can give more notice than the statutory minimum but never less. If your contract states a shorter period, the statutory minimum still applies.
Is the notice I give the same as the notice I receive?
Not necessarily. The statutory minimum that your employer must give increases with your length of service, but the notice you must give them is usually a flat one week unless your contract says otherwise.
Do I get paid during my notice period?
Yes. You are normally entitled to your normal pay throughout your notice period, whether you work it or your employer places you on garden leave or pays in lieu of notice.
What is payment in lieu of notice (PILON)?
PILON is when your employer pays your notice pay as a lump sum instead of having you work the notice period. It is allowed where your contract provides for it, and the payment is normally taxable as earnings.
Can I leave before my notice period ends?
Only by agreement with your employer. Leaving early without consent can be a breach of contract, though in practice many employers will agree to a shorter notice or waive the remainder. Get any agreement in writing.
Source: GOV.UK — Handing in your notice & notice periods