Notice Periods in the UK: Your Rights, Pay in Lieu and How to Hand In Your Notice

You have an offer and want to know when you can start. Or your employer has told you your job is ending and you want to know what you are owed. Either way you need two dates, the day your notice starts and your last paid day, and one number: how many weeks' pay the notice is worth.

Those answers come from two places. Your contract or written statement of employment particulars sets your notice period. Section 86 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 sets the floor underneath it. If the contract gives less than the law, the law wins.

The short version: once you have worked somewhere for a month, you must give at least one week's notice. Your employer must give you at least one week, rising to one week per full year of service from two years, up to 12 weeks. Notice usually runs from the start of the day after it is given.

The Statutory Minimum Notice Period in the UK

Section 86 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 is short. Subsection (2) says the notice an employee with one month's continuous employment must give is "not less than one week". Subsection (1) sets what the employer must give, and that figure grows with service. Read side by side, the two directions look like this:

Only full years count. Acas gives the example of someone with 4 years and 9 months of service: their statutory notice is 4 weeks, not 5. Someone with 15 years gets 12 weeks, the same as someone with 12.

The notice you owe does not climb the same way. After ten years you still only owe one week by law, though your contract will very likely ask for more.

Subsection (3) is the part people miss. Any contract term giving shorter notice "has effect subject to" the minimums, so a contract that says one week cannot cut the six weeks owed to someone with six years' service. The same subsection also says either side can waive notice or accept a payment in lieu of it.

Section 86 extends to England, Wales and Scotland. For Northern Ireland, nidirect sets out the same minimums: one week from you after a month, and from your employer one week, then one week per complete year up to 12.

Where Your Own Notice Period Is Written Down

Your employer has to tell you. Under the written statement rules, information about notice periods must be given on your first day of employment. Acas adds that the figure may also sit in your contract or a staff policy. If you cannot find any of those, ask HR for the clause in writing before you resign, not after.

While you are at it, look for three other things in the same document: whether notice must be given in writing (GOV.UK says your contract will tell you, and otherwise you can do it verbally), whether there is a pay in lieu of notice clause, and whether there are restrictive covenants that apply after you leave.

During probation, notice is often one week; the statutory minimum of one week applies once you have worked there for one month. Before that month is up, Acas says you do not have to give any notice if your written statement does not set one.

I would not rely on anyone's "typical" notice period, including tables of what juniors or directors usually get. No official source publishes one, and the figure that binds you is the one in your own paperwork. If yours is long, raise it early with any employer you are interviewing with, and build it into your job search strategy rather than discovering at offer stage that your start date is three months out.

When Your Notice Starts, and How to Count to Your Last Day

GOV.UK puts it in one line: "Your notice period usually runs from the start of the day after you handed your notice in." The day you resign does not count.

Acas adds two qualifications. Your contract can set a different start. And notice given only by letter starts once the person receiving it has had a reasonable amount of time to read it. A dismissal letter sent by registered post might start the notice the day after it arrives; one that lands while you are on holiday might not start until you are home and have read it.

Here is the count for someone who resigns on Monday 5 October 2026:

Weeks are easy to count. Months are not, because contracts word them differently. If your contract says "one month", I would put the date you have worked out in your letter and ask HR to confirm it in writing, so any disagreement surfaces in week one rather than on your last day.

A filled-in resignation letter (four weeks' notice)

This is an invented example: Priya, a data analyst, resigns in person on Monday 5 October 2026 and hands over this letter the same day. Her contract requires four weeks' notice in writing.

Priya Shah
14 Albert Road
Leeds LS6 2AB
Monday 5 October 2026

Tom Reeves
Head of Analytics
Northgate Logistics Ltd

Dear Tom,

Further to our conversation this morning, I am writing to give notice of my resignation from my role as Data Analyst.

My contract requires four weeks' notice. Counting from tomorrow, Tuesday 6 October, my last day of employment will be Monday 2 November 2026. Please could HR confirm this date in writing, and confirm whether any holiday I have not taken by then will be included in my final pay.

I will write up handover notes for the weekly reporting pack and the carrier dashboard, and I am happy to train whoever picks them up.

Thank you for the last three years.

Yours sincerely,
Priya Shah

Three details do the work. The letter is dated, which fixes the day notice was given. It names the start day, which heads off an argument about whether the Monday counts. And it is in writing, which GOV.UK recommends for a practical reason: give written notice "if you think you'll need to refer to it later, for example at an employment tribunal". Asking HR to confirm the date is my addition; it costs one sentence.

Pay in Lieu of Notice (PILON), Worked Out

Your employer can ask you to leave straight after you hand in your notice. According to GOV.UK, they will probably offer a one-off payment instead, called payment in lieu. You can only get it if it is in your contract or you agree to it. If you do not agree, you can work out your notice.

What the payment covers depends on how it arises. Acas says:

• With a PILON clause, the employer must give you full pay for the notice period. The contract ends straight away, so it is unlikely they will have to provide other contractual benefits.
• Without a clause, the employer can ask you to agree. If you do, they must still give full pay for the notice period, and might agree to provide other benefits too. They cannot force you to accept it.

The arithmetic

Take Priya again. She earns £36,400 a year, which is £700 a week (£36,400 ÷ 52). Her contract sets four weeks' notice on both sides and includes a PILON clause. Two versions of her story:

The second row is where people get short-changed. Six full years means six weeks under section 86, and the four-week contract term cannot reduce that. If her contract or the agreement also covers benefits such as pension contributions, those are added on top.

Three things sit outside that figure:

• Tax. The payment goes through payroll with income tax and National Insurance, like wages. HMRC's policy paper explains that from April 2018 all contractual, customary and non-contractual payments in lieu of notice are subject to tax and National Insurance. HMRC's manual confirms that notice pay no longer benefits from the £30,000 threshold that applies to some termination payments.
• Holiday. Untaken statutory leave is paid separately when you leave. GOV.UK says employers must pay for it even if the worker is dismissed for gross misconduct.
• Bonus and commission. If you work your notice instead, GOV.UK says you are entitled to bonuses and commission during it unless your contract states otherwise.

If your pay varies and you are being made redundant, GOV.UK says notice pay is based on the average you earned per week over the 12 weeks before your notice period starts.

If I were offered PILON, I would ask for the breakdown in writing before signing anything: number of weeks, weekly rate, any benefits included, and holiday pay listed as a separate line. Errors are easier to fix while you are still on the payroll.

PILON vs Garden Leave

Garden leave is when your employer asks you not to come into work, or to work at home or somewhere else, during your notice period. You get the same pay and contractual benefits. Acas says the usual reason is that the employer does not want you to have access to sensitive or confidential information you could use in a new job.

Garden leave matters most if you are joining a competitor. Separately from notice, your contract may contain restrictive covenants saying you cannot work for a competitor or contact customers for a period after you leave, and GOV.UK warns your company could take you to court for breaching them. Agree your start date with the new employer only after you have read both clauses.

Leaving Early, or Being Told to Leave

If you want to go before your notice ends

Ask. Acas says you should get your employer's agreement in writing, and if you leave early by agreement, the employer only has to pay you for the time you worked. Its own example is an employee giving up part of their notice and pay to start a new job sooner.

If you leave without enough notice and without agreement, Acas says you are likely to be breaching your contract. The consequences it lists:

• Some contracts allow a deduction from wages, for example if the employer has to pay for an agency worker as a quick replacement.
• The employer might claim those costs in the county court in England and Wales or the sheriff court in Scotland.
• Your references could suffer, which Acas flags as particularly important in financial services and in jobs involving responsibility for other people's welfare, such as care work.

On references: an employer does not have to give one by law, according to Acas, unless it has promised one in writing, the job is one of certain roles regulated by the FCA or PRA, or it has agreed to one in something like a settlement agreement. Our guide on asking for a reference covers the practical side.

There is one exception to the breach. If your employer has already seriously breached your contract, you could be entitled to leave without working your contractual notice, and you might have a claim for constructive dismissal. That is the point to call the Acas helpline before you send anything.

If your employer wants you out now

Being walked out on the day you resign does not reduce what you are owed. The employer must pay the notice period, either as PILON (under a clause or with your agreement) or by keeping you on garden leave.

The exception is gross misconduct. Acas says that if the employer believes you did something serious enough to justify dismissal for gross misconduct, you are not entitled to the statutory notice period or any payment for it. If you think you were given the wrong notice, Acas suggests raising it informally first; if that fails, you might be able to claim wrongful dismissal at an employment tribunal, the county court in England and Wales, or the sheriff court in Scotland.

How to Hand In Your Notice

The order matters more than the wording.

1. Have the offer in writing first

I would not resign on a verbal offer. Wait for the written offer and a start date, and if the offer is conditional on references or checks, know what is still outstanding before you commit.

2. Check your contract

GOV.UK's handing in your notice guide starts in the same place. Find the notice period, whether it must be in writing, any PILON or garden leave clause and any restrictive covenants. Then count your last day using the table above.

3. Tell your manager directly

In person or on a call, before anything lands in their inbox. Keep it short: you have accepted another role, you are giving your contractual notice, your last day would be the date you worked out, and you want the handover to go well.

4. Confirm in writing the same day

Even if your contract allows verbal notice. The letter fixes the date notice was given and the date you have calculated. GOV.UK notes that giving too little notice, or giving it verbally when the contract requires writing, may put you in breach of contract.

5. Decide on a counter-offer before the meeting

Deciding in the room, with your manager across the table, rarely goes well. If pay was the only problem, a counter-offer may solve it, and our guide on negotiating salary covers how to weigh one. If the problem was the work, the team or your prospects, more money does not change it. Resign only if you mean it: GOV.UK says that if you change your mind, your employer can choose to accept your resignation or not.

6. Work the notice properly

Write the handover notes, finish what can be finished, and hand over the rest by name. The colleagues who watch your last few weeks are the people most likely to be asked about you later.

Resignation Letter Templates

A resignation letter needs three things: that you are resigning, the date notice starts or the last day that follows from it, and an offer to help with the handover. Everything else is optional, and most of it is better left out.

In each template, [Start date] is the day after you hand the letter in, unless your contract says notice starts on a different day.

Template 1: Standard resignation letter

For leaving on good terms for another role.

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Date]

[Manager's Name]
[Job Title]
[Company Name]

Dear [Manager's Name],

I am writing to give notice of my resignation from my position as [Job Title] at [Company Name].

My contractual notice period is [X weeks/months]. Counting from [Start date], my last day of employment will be [Last day]. I would be grateful if HR could confirm this date in writing.

I have valued my time here, particularly [brief specific reference], and I will do what I can to make the handover smooth, including documentation and training.

Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]

Template 2: Resignation by email

For confirming in writing straight after the conversation, or when your manager is remote. Check first that your contract accepts email as written notice.

Subject: Resignation – [Your Name]

Dear [Manager's Name],

Further to our conversation today, I am writing to confirm my resignation from my role as [Job Title] at [Company Name].

My contractual notice period is [X weeks/months]. Counting from [Start date], my last day of employment will be [Last day].

I would like the handover to go smoothly and am happy to discuss arrangements whenever suits you. Please let me know if HR needs anything further from me.

Kind regards,
[Your Name]
[Phone number]

Template 3: Immediate resignation

Only for when you genuinely cannot work your notice. Leaving without enough notice is likely to breach your contract unless your employer agrees, so Option A asks for that agreement. Option B is for resigning over a serious breach by your employer; take advice from Acas or an employment solicitor before you send it.

[Your Name]
[Date]

Dear [Manager's Name],

I am writing to resign from my position as [Job Title] at [Company Name].

Option A – personal circumstances:
Because of personal circumstances I am unable to work my notice period. I would like to ask whether you will agree to release me with effect from [Date], and would be grateful for your confirmation in writing. I am sorry for the disruption and am happy to provide handover notes remotely.

Option B – serious breach by the employer:
I am resigning with immediate effect because of the matters set out in my previous correspondence, which I consider a serious breach of my employment contract.

Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]

Template 4: Offering to stay longer

For when your role is hard to fill or a project is mid-flight, and you are willing to stay past your contractual notice.

[Your Name]
[Date]

Dear [Manager's Name],

I am writing to give notice of my resignation from my position as [Job Title] at [Company Name].

My contractual notice period is [X months]. Counting from [Start date], my last day would be [Last day]. Given where [specific project] stands, I would be willing to stay until [Later date] if that helps the team, subject to agreement with my new employer.

I want the handover on [specific work] to be thorough, and I am grateful for [specific example].

Please let me know how you would like to proceed.

Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]

Template 5: Resigning under difficult circumstances

For leaving after conflict, a difficult environment or a performance process. Facts only.

[Your Name]
[Date]

Dear [Manager's Name],

I am writing to give notice of my resignation from my position as [Job Title] at [Company Name]. In line with my contractual notice period, and counting from [Start date], my last day of employment will be [Last day].

I wish the company well.

Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]

If you are asked to stay beyond your notice

You can agree as a favour, but you do not have to work longer than your contract requires. "I can stay until [date], but I start my new role on [start date]" settles it without a negotiation.

Holiday During Your Notice Period

According to GOV.UK, you may be able to take whatever is left of your statutory annual leave during your notice period. Leaving is the only time you can be paid instead of taking statutory leave, and your employer must pay for untaken statutory leave even after a gross misconduct dismissal.

Your employer can also tell you to take leave. The notice for that is at least twice as long as the leave, so two weeks' notice to make you take one week, unless your contract says something different.

If you have taken more leave than you have built up, your employer must not take the excess from your final pay unless that was agreed beforehand in writing.

Notice Periods and Redundancy

The statutory redundancy notice periods follow the same ladder as any dismissal. GOV.UK says that as well as statutory redundancy pay, your employer should either pay you through your notice period or pay you in lieu of notice. Notice pay is one entitlement and redundancy pay is another.

They are taxed differently too. Statutory redundancy pay under £30,000 is not taxable; notice pay is taxed as earnings, as covered in the PILON section above.

Two rights apply only during a redundancy notice period, both from Acas:

• Time off to look for work. If you have worked for your employer continuously for 2 years or more, including the notice period, they must allow reasonable time off to look for a job or arrange training. Pay for it is limited to 40% of a week's pay. In the Acas example, someone on £500 for a five-day week who takes five days off during a 12-week notice period is paid £200 for that time.
• Leaving early without losing redundancy pay. If you find a job before your notice ends, you need to give counter-notice during the "obligatory period" to keep your redundancy pay. Acas also says your employer cannot withdraw a redundancy notice that includes your end date unless you agree.

Our guide on finding a job after being laid off covers the job search itself.

Frequently Asked Questions