How long is a UK notice period?

UK statutory notice for the employee is one week, regardless of how long you've been employed. The employer's statutory notice to you is one week per year of service up to 12 weeks. But in practice, both sides almost always rely on whatever the contract says, which is usually longer than statutory.

Typical contractual notice periods in 2026: 1 month for junior and entry-level roles, 1-3 months for mid-career commercial and tech roles, 3 months for senior individual contributors and managers, 3-6 months for directors and senior commercial roles, 6 months or longer for executive and very senior roles. Some specialist positions — particularly in financial services and senior engineering — have notice periods of 6-12 months.

Check your contract before you start applying, not after the offer comes in. The wrong assumption here can cost you weeks. If your contract says 3 months and the new employer expected you to start in 6 weeks, the negotiation either delays your start, requires the new employer to wait, or requires you to negotiate a shorter exit with your current employer.

Garden leave is a common variation: your employer keeps you on payroll during your notice period but doesn't have you working. Common in financial services, senior commercial, and any role where the employer doesn't want you near systems or clients during your notice. You're still employed, still paid, still subject to the contract — including any non-compete clauses — but you're not actually doing the job.

Pay In Lieu Of Notice (PILON) is the alternative: the employer pays you the notice money up front and ends the employment immediately. Whether the employer can do this depends on whether your contract has a PILON clause. Most modern UK contracts do; older ones often don't. PILON is fully taxable as income, unlike statutory redundancy which is partially tax-free.

The conversation about reducing your notice — if you've accepted a new role and the timeline is tight — should happen as soon as you've signed the new offer, not at the end of your notice. Most employers will negotiate, particularly if you offer a clean handover plan. The longer you wait, the harder it gets.