UK · employmentSources checked
What notice must a UK employee give when resigning?
Under section 86(2) of the Employment Rights Act 1996, an employee who has been continuously employed for one month or more must give not less than one week's notice to terminate their contract. Unlike the employer's statutory notice, the employee's does not lengthen with years of service.
Sources
- Employment Rights Act 1996, section 86(2) (Rights of employer and employee to minimum notice)legislation.gov.uk · checked 17 August 2026 · Latest available (Revised) version, with changes incorporated up to 15 August 2026.
Related questions
- Does an employee's notice increase with length of service?
- No. Section 86(2) sets one week once the employee has been continuously employed for one month or more, and it stays at one week. Only the employer's notice under section 86(1) rises with service.
- What about an employee with less than one month's service?
- Section 86(2) is triggered by one month of continuous employment. Below that, the section sets no statutory minimum, so the contract governs.
What this answer does not cover
- An employment contract can set out its own notice arrangements, which this page does not interpret.
- Leaving without working notice, and what an employer can do about it, is a separate question.
