UK

1 Month Notice Period Calculator

One month is the most common UK notice period. Pick the date you handed in your resignation to see your last contracted working day.

Pick a valid resignation date.

This calculator is for general guidance only. Always check your employment contract.

Need a handover plan? Get a personalised week-by-week plan for 1 month notice.

Why one month is the UK default

One month is the most frequently written notice period in UK employment contracts for non-junior staff. It's long enough to brief a successor and tidy up open work, short enough that the new role doesn't have to wait too long. For most office workers, it's what you'll see when you read the notice clause of your contract for the first time.

The statutory minimum from an employee is still only one week, but contracts almost always specify longer once you're past probation. The rule is simple: whichever is longer, the contract or the statutory minimum, is what applies — and that's almost always the contract.

Counting a calendar month — the gotchas

A calendar month preserves the day of the month. Hand in notice on 15 March and your final working day is 15 April. The wrinkle comes at month-ends: resign on 31 January with one month's notice and the convention is to roll back to 28 February (29 in a leap year), because there's no 31st. The calculator above handles this automatically.

Bank holidays and weekends don't pause the count — they're calendar days like any other. If your final day lands on a weekend or bank holiday, most employers treat the previous working day as your last in.

A four-week handover plan

Week 1 is for documentation: write down what you do, when you do it, who depends on it, and where to find the relevant accounts and files. Share the draft with your manager early so they can flag anything missing.

Weeks 2 and 3 are for transitions — pair on the work with whoever's taking it over, introduce them to your stakeholders, and start declining new work so you're not handing over a moving target. Save the final week for tying up loose ends, exit admin, and saying goodbye properly.

One month and your final pay

Final pay on a one-month notice usually runs through the normal payroll cycle. If your last day falls before the cut-off, you'll be paid as normal that month with everything reconciled — final salary, accrued and untaken holiday paid out, any commission or bonus due. If your last day falls after the cut-off, your final payslip lands the following month.

Ask HR to confirm in writing what's being paid out and when. Check the figures against your contract — particularly any pro-rated bonus, deferred share schemes, and contractual benefits like health insurance that may end on a different date than your salary. P45 is normally with you within ten working days; chase if it isn't.

Frequently asked questions

Does one month mean four weeks or a calendar month?
A calendar month — the same day of the next month. Four weeks (28 days) is shorter, so always read the contract literally. If it says 'one month', it means a calendar month.
Can my employer extend my one-month notice without my agreement?
No. Your notice period is whatever your contract says. An employer can't unilaterally extend it. They can ask you to stay longer, and you can agree, but it has to be mutual.
What if I want to leave before my month is up?
Ask. Many employers will agree to a shorter notice if cover is in place, particularly if you offer a clean handover. Get any agreement in writing so there's no dispute over your final pay or reference.
Do I have to take all my accrued holiday during the month?
No, but employers can require you to. If you don't take it, your employer must pay it out at your final salary rate. The choice is usually negotiable — some prefer to keep you available for handover.

Working notice vs garden leave vs PILON

Most UK notice periods resolve in one of three ways. The calculator above gives you the date for the first; the table sets out how the other two compare.

 Work your noticeGarden leavePILON
Final working dayEnd of contractual noticeEnd of contractual noticeThe day PILON is paid
Pay treatmentNormal salary to last dayNormal salary to last dayLump sum equal to the unworked notice
Still bound by your contract?YesYes — including non-compete and confidentialityNo — employment ends immediately
Can you start a new job?After your last dayAfter your last day; restrictive covenants may delay furtherImmediately, subject to any post-termination clauses
Tax treatmentStandard PAYE on salaryStandard PAYE on salaryFully taxable as earnings (since the 2018 reforms — no tax-free element)
When it’s commonMost resignationsSenior roles, moves to competitors, sensitive transitionsWhen the employer wants you off the payroll quickly, or by mutual agreement

Whether your contract gives the employer the right to use garden leave or PILON is set out in the notice clause — it’s worth checking before you assume either is on the table.

Notice periods in the UK — a practical guide

How is a notice period calculated?

A notice period runs from the day you hand in your resignation to the last day you’re contractually required to work. If your contract says “one month’s notice”, you add one calendar month to the date you resign — so handing notice in on 15 March gives a final working day of 15 April. Weeks work the same way: two weeks is fourteen calendar days, not ten working days.

When the notice is in months and the target month doesn’t have your start day (e.g. resigning on 31 January with one month’s notice), the convention is to roll back to the last day of the next month — 28 February in most years, 29 February in a leap year.

Do weekends count in a notice period?

Yes. Notice is measured in calendar time, so weekends and bank holidays are included. If your final day lands on a Saturday or Sunday, most employers treat the previous Friday as your last working day — but that’s a practical convention, not a legal rule. The toggle in the calculator above mirrors that approach.

What is the minimum notice period in the UK?

If you’ve been employed for one month or more, the statutory minimum notice you have to give is one week — even if your contract is silent on the subject. Employers, by contrast, owe you at least one week’s notice for each full year of service, up to a cap of twelve weeks after twelve years.

Most contracts ask for longer than the statutory minimum (typically one or three months), and the longer of the two periods applies. Senior roles often have three or six months written in.

Can your employer ask you to work longer?

Not unilaterally. Your notice period is whatever your contract says (or the statutory minimum, whichever is longer). An employer can’t simply extend it. They can, however, ask you to leave earlier and pay you for the unworked notice (a payment in lieu of notice, or PILON), or place you on garden leave — keeping you on the payroll but away from the office.

If you’d like to leave sooner than your contract allows, the best route is usually a polite conversation. Many employers will agree to a shorter notice period in writing if cover is in place.

What should you do after resigning?

Get written acknowledgement of your resignation and the agreed final working day. Check that any accrued holiday will be paid out, and ask when to expect your final payslip and P45. Tidy up handover notes early so the last fortnight isn’t a scramble, and line up references before access to work systems is removed.

If you don’t already have your next role lined up, give yourself a week to refresh your CV and shortlist roles before starting applications in earnest — the resources below are a decent starting point.