Answers · UK 2025/26

How much statutory notice am I entitled to based on my length of service?

Under UK law, employees with one month to two years' service are entitled to one week's statutory minimum notice, rising by one additional week for each further complete year of service up to a maximum of 12 weeks after 12 years or more, though a written contract can specify longer notice than the statutory minimum.

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Statutory minimum notice sets a legal floor for how much notice an employer must give before ending someone's employment (except in cases of gross misconduct), and it scales directly with how long the employee has worked for that employer. **The statutory scale** An employee with at least one month but less than two years' continuous service is entitled to one week's notice. From two complete years of service, the entitlement is one week for each complete year of service -- so two years gives two weeks, five years gives five weeks, and so on -- up to a maximum of 12 weeks' notice once the employee has 12 or more complete years of service; service beyond 12 years does not increase the statutory entitlement further. **Worked example** An employee who has worked for the same employer for 7 complete years is entitled to at least 7 weeks' statutory notice if the employer wants to end their employment (again, outside gross misconduct dismissals). If they had 15 years' service instead, the statutory entitlement would still cap out at 12 weeks, not 15. **Contractual notice can be longer, never shorter** Many employment contracts specify a fixed contractual notice period (for example, one month or three months) that may be longer than the statutory minimum at a given length of service -- where the contract offers more notice than the statutory scale would provide, the employee is entitled to whichever is longer. A contract cannot lawfully provide for less notice than the statutory minimum; any such clause is simply overridden by the statutory entitlement. **Notice from the employee's side** Employees generally only have to give one week's statutory notice to resign, regardless of length of service, unless their contract specifies a longer period (which is common, particularly for more senior roles) -- the escalating scale described above applies to notice an EMPLOYER must give, not notice an employee must give when resigning. **Pay during the notice period** Employees are normally entitled to their normal pay throughout their statutory or contractual notice period, even if there is no work available for them to do, subject to specific rules about calculating a "week's pay" for those without fixed hours or fixed pay. **What can shorten or remove notice** Summary dismissal for gross misconduct can remove the right to notice altogether, and in some cases an employer may choose to make a payment in lieu of notice (PILON) instead of requiring the employee to work their notice, provided the contract permits this or both parties agree. **Practical tip** Always check your written contract or statement of employment particulars for a specific notice clause first; if none exists, or if it offers less than the statutory scale for your length of service, the statutory minimum notice period based on your years of continuous service applies as the legal floor.