Notice Period Calculator
Find out your last working day from the date you hand in notice and your contractual notice period.
Giving 1 months' notice on January 15, 2026 means your last working day is February 15, 2026 — a Sunday.
Results update as you type. Your contract may define notice in working days, calendar days, or "complete months from the next pay date" — check the wording before relying on this for a real resignation.
Formula
Calendar arithmetic: notice given + contractual period → last working day. Months use month-end clamping (Jan 31 + 1 month → Feb 28). Notice runs as calendar time, not working days — '4 weeks' is 28 calendar days regardless of weekends and statutory holidays.
When this calculator helps
Use this calculator the moment a departure becomes real — when you are about to hand in your resignation, when your employer has given you notice, or when you are simply weighing up timings before either happens. Tell it the date notice is given and the length of the notice period, and it returns your last working day and the weekday it falls on. That single date drives almost everything else: your final salary run, when accrued holiday is settled, and when a new role can realistically start.
It is built around the way UK employment works in practice. Notice here is almost always a calendar figure rather than a count of working days, and the binding length comes from your written contract rather than from a single national rule. Whether you are a junior on one month, a manager on three, or someone serving the statutory minimum, the calculator gives you a firm leaving date to plan handovers, gardening leave and your final payslip around.
How to read your result
The date shown is your last day of employment — the end of the notice period, counted in calendar time. Because UK notice runs in calendar weeks and months, weekends and bank holidays inside the period still count; one month's notice given on the 14th lands on the 14th of the next month, not a number of working days later. Knowing the weekday matters too, since a Friday finish and a mid-week finish change how you wind down handovers.
Treat the result as the contractual deadline, not necessarily the legal minimum. Statutory notice is only a floor; your contract very often states more, and the contractual figure is the one that binds. If your contract starts notice from the next pay period rather than the day after you resign, shift the start date you enter accordingly so the end date reflects your actual terms.
A worked example
Suppose you are a marketing manager on a three-month contractual notice period and you hand in your resignation on 15/01/2026. Entering that date with three months of notice gives a last working day of 15/04/2026, a Wednesday. That tells you final salary will run to mid-April, that any accrued holiday will be settled around then, and that you should not promise a new employer a start date before the back half of April. If instead you were on the one-week statutory minimum, the same notice date would put your last day at 22/01/2026.
Common mistakes to avoid
Most errors come from guessing at the notice length or counting from the wrong day. A few specific traps catch people out.
- Assuming the statutory minimum applies when your contract actually specifies a longer period — the contractual figure is the binding one.
- Counting from the day you verbally mentioned leaving rather than the date written notice was formally given and accepted.
- Forgetting that gardening leave or pay in lieu of notice (PILON) does not change the leaving date — only whether you work during it.
- Overlooking accrued but untaken holiday, which is either paid out at the end or required to be taken during the notice period.
UK notice-period law in brief
In the UK the statutory minimum from an employer is set by the Employment Rights Act 1996: after one month of continuous service you are entitled to at least one week's notice, rising to one week for each complete year of service once you pass two years, capped at twelve weeks. An employee resigning owes a statutory minimum of one week after a month's service. In practice most contracts state more than this — one to three months is common, and senior roles often carry six — and the contractual figure overrides the statutory floor.
Two arrangements affect how notice is served rather than how long it is. Gardening leave keeps you employed and paid but away from work during notice, often to protect client relationships. Pay in lieu of notice (PILON) ends the employment sooner with a payment covering the remaining notice, and is normally taxed as ordinary earnings. Either way, the calendar length is what this tool computes. This is general information, not legal advice — check your contract, and consult ACAS or an employment solicitor for your own situation.
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Frequently asked questions
What's a typical UK notice period?▾
Statutory minimum (after 1 month employed, under the Employment Rights Act 1996) is 1 week of notice. After 2 years it rises to 2 weeks, then 1 week per year of service up to 12 weeks. Most contracts override this with 1 month for junior/mid roles, 3 months for managers, 6+ months for executives. Check your written employment contract — that's the binding figure.
When does notice start?▾
Most contracts say notice starts on 'the next working day after written notice is given'. Some say 'the start of the next pay period' (the start of the next calendar month, typically). The calculator works on the day-after-day-of-notice convention; if your contract uses pay-period boundaries, adjust the start date accordingly.
Are weekends and bank holidays counted?▾
Yes — calendar weeks/months. UK notice periods are typically calendar-period figures, not working days. So '4 weeks' notice means 28 calendar days, including weekends. Statutory holidays you've accrued during the notice period are usually paid at the end.
Can I work my notice from holiday?▾
Depends on your contract. Many UK contracts allow the employer to require you to take accrued holiday during notice (so you don't get paid out for it at the end). Some allow you to take it at your discretion; some require you to be available to work. Read your contract; if unclear, ask HR or ACAS.
What about garden leave / pay in lieu?▾
If your employer doesn't want you working your notice, they may put you on garden leave (paid, not working — typical for senior roles or sensitive departures) or pay in lieu of notice (PILON). PILON triggers tax differently — usually treated as ordinary earnings now. The calendar deadline is the same; the working arrangement during it differs.
Does this calculate notice for redundancy?▾
Same calendar arithmetic. UK statutory redundancy notice is the same minimum as resignation notice (1 week per year up to 12), unless your contract gives more. Statutory redundancy *pay* is separate and depends on age, tenure, and weekly pay — gov.uk/calculate-your-redundancy-pay handles that calculation.