UK HR Term
Notice period
A notice period is the length of time an employee or employer must give before terminating an employment contract. UK statutory minimums are one week from the employee and one week per year of service from the employer (capped at 12 weeks).
In plain English
The notice period is the time an employer or employee has to give before ending the employment contract. It exists to give both sides time to plan — recruiting a replacement, finishing handovers, or finding a new role.
Statutory minimums
UK law sets a floor that the contract cannot go below.
From the employer:
- Less than one month's service: no statutory notice required
- 1 month to 2 years' service: at least 1 week
- After 2 years: 1 week per completed year of service, capped at 12 weeks
From the employee:
- 1 month or more: at least 1 week (regardless of length of service)
Contractual notice
Most contracts go beyond statutory — typically one month either way for non-managerial roles, three months for managers, six months for senior leadership. The contract overrides the statutory minimum if it's more generous.
Garden leave and PILON
Two common variations:
- Garden leave — the employee remains on full pay but is told not to come into work or contact clients during the notice period. Used to protect client relationships before they leave.
- Payment in lieu of notice (PILON) — the employer pays out the notice period as a lump sum and ends employment immediately. Must be in the contract to be lawful.
Probation periods
Many contracts use a shorter notice period during probation (often one or two weeks) and switch to the standard period on confirmation.