# Notice periods in the UK: how long they are and what you're paid

In the UK you must give your employer at least one week's notice once you have been in the job for more than a month, unless your contract asks for more. Your employer must give you at least one week's notice after one month, one week for each full year of service from two years, and 12 weeks once you have worked there for 12 years or more.

- URL: https://arsio.co/blog/notice-period-uk
- ARSIO team · 2026-11-10 · GB

## Key facts

- Minimum notice you must give: 1 week, once you have been in the job for more than a month
- Minimum notice your employer must give: 1 week from 1 month to 2 years, then 1 week per year, up to 12 weeks
- Contract or law?: Whichever is longer: your contract or the statutory minimum
- Pay during notice: Usually your normal pay; payment in lieu only if your contract allows it or you agree

## How much notice do you have to give?

If you have been in your job for more than a month, you must give **at least one week's notice**. That is the legal floor. Your contract can ask for more, and most do: a month is common, and senior roles often carry three.

Check three things in your contract before you resign:

- **the length of notice** you have to give;
- **whether it has to be in writing**. If the contract does not say, verbal notice counts, but put it in writing anyway so there is a record;
- **what happens if you go to a competitor** (more on that below).

Your notice period usually starts at the beginning of the day after you hand your notice in. So if you resign on a Monday with one week's notice, your last day is the following Monday.

If you leave without giving enough notice, you may be in breach of your contract, and your employer could take you to court.

## How much notice must your employer give you?

Here the law scales with how long you have worked there. Your employer has to give you whichever is **longer**: the notice in your contract or the statutory minimum.

| Time with your employer | Statutory minimum notice |
| --- | --- |
| 1 month to 2 years | At least 1 week |
| 2 to 12 years | 1 week for each full year |
| 12 years or more | 12 weeks |

**Statutory minimum notice from your employer, by length of service**

| | |
| --- | --- |
| 1 month to 2 years | 1 week |
| 3 years | 3 weeks |
| 5 years | 5 weeks |
| 8 years | 8 weeks |
| 12 years or more | 12 weeks |

_Weeks of notice an employer must give. Your contract can give you more, never less. Source: GOV.UK, read 10 November 2026._

There are situations where an employer can dismiss someone immediately, for example for violence. Outside those cases, you must get at least the contractual or statutory notice.

## What are you paid during your notice period?

You will usually get your normal pay. The exceptions are periods when you do not work during your notice because you are:

- off sick;
- on holiday;
- on maternity, paternity, adoption or shared parental leave;
- willing to work, but your employer has no work for you.

In those cases, what you are paid depends on your contract and on whether you are resigning, being dismissed or being made redundant.

Two more points that people often miss:

- **Bonuses and commission still apply** during notice, unless your contract says otherwise.
- **Payment in lieu of notice** means your employer pays you instead of having you work the notice. It is only allowed if your contract provides for it or if you agree.

If you cannot settle a dispute about notice pay informally, use your employer's grievance procedure. If that fails, you may be able to bring a breach of contract claim at an employment tribunal.

## Garden leave and restrictive covenants

Your employer may ask you not to come in during your notice, or to work from home or another site. That is **garden leave**. You keep the same pay and contractual benefits, but you are still employed, so you cannot start the next job yet.

Your contract may also contain **restrictive covenants**: terms that stop you working for a competitor or contacting customers for a period after you leave. Your employer could take you to court if you breach them, so read them before you accept an offer from a rival.

## How to leave sooner than your notice period

There is no legal right to cut your notice short, but notice is a contract term, and contract terms can be changed if both sides agree. In practice:

1. **Ask.** Many employers will release you early if the handover is done. Get the agreed last day in writing.
2. **Offer a clean handover.** A written plan of who takes over what makes an early date easier to approve.
3. **Ask about payment in lieu** if your employer would rather you left immediately.
4. **Tell your new employer your real notice period** before you sign. Most will wait, and it is better than starting with a dispute behind you.

For advice on your own situation, the Acas helpline is free.

## Job hunting while you are on notice

The notice clock is useful if you start early. Most of the time in a job search goes on reading ads that turn out not to fit, so line up applications before you resign rather than after.

That part is what ARSIO's agent does for you: it reads the new ads every morning, keeps the ones that match your CV and prepares the application, so your notice period goes on interviews instead of scrolling.

*This guide is general information, not legal advice.*

## Common questions

### Can I hand in my notice by email or verbally?

Your contract says whether notice has to be in writing. If it does not, you can give it verbally. GOV.UK recommends written notice if you think you may need to refer to it later, for example at an employment tribunal.

### When does my notice period start?

It usually runs from the start of the day after you handed your notice in.

### Do I still get bonuses and commission while I work my notice?

Yes. You are entitled to bonuses and commission during your notice period unless your contract says otherwise.

### Can my employer make me leave straight away?

Your employer can ask you to leave immediately after you hand in your notice and offer a one-off payment instead, called payment in lieu. You can only be given payment in lieu if it is in your contract or you agree to it. If you do not agree, you can work out your notice.

### I resigned in the heat of the moment. Can I take it back?

Tell your employer immediately. They can choose whether or not to accept your resignation.

## Sources

- [Handing in your notice](https://www.gov.uk/handing-in-your-notice), GOV.UK, read 10 November 2026
- [Redundancy: your rights – Notice periods](https://www.gov.uk/redundancy-your-rights/notice-periods), GOV.UK, read 10 November 2026
- [Dismissal: your rights](https://www.gov.uk/dismissal), GOV.UK, read 10 November 2026