🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Notice Period Calculator

Calculate your UK statutory notice period for 2025/26. See your notice pay, understand PILON tax treatment, garden leave rules, and your full rights during the notice period under UK employment law.

years
Complete years with this employer
Statutory rules differ for employer vs employee

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How to Use This Calculator

My Notice Period tab

Enter your years of continuous service with your current employer and select whether the employer or employee is giving notice. The calculator shows the statutory minimum notice period under the Employment Rights Act 1996. Remember: your contract may require a longer notice period than the statutory minimum.

Notice Pay tab

Enter your weekly basic pay, notice period in weeks, and whether you are receiving PILON (Payment In Lieu of Notice). Expand "More options" to include regular overtime and contractual bonuses. The calculator shows your total gross notice pay and explains the tax treatment.

Rights During Notice tab

A comprehensive guide to your entitlements during the notice period: full pay, benefits continuation, holiday accrual, garden leave, PILON tax treatment, job search rights, and what happens if you fall ill during notice.

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The Formula

Statutory notice periods follow clear rules set by the Employment Rights Act 1996:

Employer giving notice:
Less than 1 month service = no statutory minimum
1 month to < 2 years = 1 week
2+ years = 1 week per complete year of service (capped at 12 weeks)

Employee giving notice:
1 week minimum (regardless of service length)

Notice pay:
Total Notice Pay = (Basic Pay + Regular Overtime + Contractual Bonus ÷ 52) × Notice Weeks

PILON:
PILON = Total Notice Pay (fully taxable as earnings since April 2018)

Notice pay must reflect your full normal pay — not just basic salary. Under s.87-89 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, employers must pay you at least the average of what you normally earn, including regular overtime, contractual bonuses, and commission.

The statutory minimum is a legal floor. Your employment contract may specify a longer notice period, and the contractual period takes precedence if it is more generous than the statutory minimum.

Example

Sarah — Marketing Manager, 7 years service

Sarah has worked at her company for 7 years. Her employer is giving her notice as part of a restructure. She earns £650 per week (basic pay).

My Notice Period tab

Years of service7
Who is giving noticeEmployer
Statutory minimum notice7 weeks
Basis1 week per year of service

With 7 complete years of service, Sarah's employer must give her at least 7 weeks' notice (or pay her in lieu).

Notice Pay tab

Weekly basic pay£650
Notice period7 weeks
PILONNo (working notice)
Total notice pay (gross)£4,550
Tax treatmentFully taxable as earnings

Sarah will receive £4,550 gross over her 7-week notice period (7 × £650 = £4,550). This is taxed as normal earnings through PAYE. If her employer offered PILON instead, she would receive the same £4,550 as a lump sum, also fully taxable.

FAQ

The statutory minimum depends on your length of service. If you have been employed for 1 month to 2 years, you are entitled to 1 week's notice. After 2 years, you get 1 week per complete year of service, up to a maximum of 12 weeks (so 12+ years of service = 12 weeks). Your employment contract may specify a longer period, and that takes precedence. Source: Employment Rights Act 1996, s.86.
The statutory minimum for an employee is just 1 week, regardless of how long you have worked there. However, your contract almost certainly requires more — typically 1 month for junior roles and up to 3 months for senior positions. You are legally bound by whichever is longer: the statutory minimum or your contractual notice period. Check your employment contract for the specific requirement.
PILON (Payment In Lieu of Notice) is when your employer pays you a lump sum instead of requiring you to work your notice period. Since April 2018, all PILON payments are fully taxable as earnings — you pay both income tax and employee National Insurance on the full amount. PILON does not benefit from the £30,000 tax-free redundancy threshold. The advantage of PILON is that you can start a new job immediately.
Garden leave is when your employer keeps you on the payroll during your notice period but does not require (or allow) you to come to work. You receive full pay and benefits, but you are typically restricted from working for competitors, contacting clients, or accessing company systems. Your employer needs a specific garden leave clause in your contract to enforce this. Without such a clause, you have the right to attend work during your notice period.
Yes. During statutory notice, your employer must pay you your normal pay — not just basic salary. This includes regular overtime, contractual bonuses, commission (if regular and contractual), and shift allowances. Discretionary bonuses are usually not included unless your contract says otherwise. Under Employment Rights Act 1996 s.87-89, the calculation is based on your average earnings over a reference period (typically 12 weeks). Source: Acas, Employment Rights Act 1996.

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