How much notice do I legally have to give?

In the UK, your contract sets the operative figure. Below that, section 86 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 requires you to give at least one week once you have completed one month of service. Below one month of service, no statutory notice applies. The contract almost always requires longer (one to three months for most professional roles).

What if my contract does not say anything about notice?

Statutory minimum applies. That is one week from one month of service. Some contracts have terms implied through custom and practice, particularly in older or unionised workplaces, in which case a longer notice may be implied. If unsure, take advice from ACAS or your union before resigning.

Do I have to give the full contractual notice or can I give less?

You are required to give the full contractual notice. Giving less breaches the contract. In practice, the consequences for junior employees are usually limited to lost pay for unworked days and a more cautious reference. For senior or regulated roles the impact can be much greater (breach claims, injunctions, professional-conduct referrals). Negotiating a shorter notice is safer than walking out.

Can I resign with immediate effect?

Only if the employer's conduct amounts to a fundamental breach entitling you to treat the contract as ended (constructive dismissal). Otherwise, walking out with no notice is a breach of contract. See resigning with immediate effect for the detail on when this is lawful.

Do I have to give notice in writing?

Not legally required unless the contract specifies. Written notice is strongly recommended because it fixes the date and terms. A short email to your line manager copying HR is enough for most UK employers. The resignation letter generator on this site produces a suitable letter in seconds.

How Much Notice Do I Have to Give? (UK 2026 Decision Tree)

The decision tree

Work through these five questions in order:

Have you had a written contract? If yes, go to step 2. If no, statutory minimum applies (see below).
What notice does your contract specify? If in doubt, look at the section commonly headed “Termination ” or “Notice”. If it gives a figure (e.g. one month), that is the operative notice.
Are you still in probation? If yes, use the probation notice figure (usually one week or one month). Confirm the probation end date first using the probation end date calculator.
Have you been continuously employed for a long time? Contractual notice does not usually change with length of service. Statutory notice does (for the employer side).
Are you in a sector with special rules? NHS, teachers, civil service, police and armed forces all have distinctive rules. See the sector sections below.

Less than one month of service

Section 86 does not require any statutory notice below one month of service. You can leave immediately without breaching statute. Your contract may still require notice (a probation notice of one week is common), and walking out breaches the contract even if statute is not engaged.

Practical position: for most junior roles the employer will not pursue a claim over a few unworked days. But the reference and rehire position matters, and giving the contractual notice is the professional course.

One month to two years of service

Statutory employee-side minimum: one week. Contractual notice is almost always longer. The most common patterns:

One month notice (retail, hospitality, junior professional roles, entry-level administrative work).
One to two months (mid-level professional services, financial services analyst level, marketing manager level).
Three months (NHS Bands 5-9, senior professional roles, managers with budget responsibility).

Use the notice period calculator to work out the exact final working day for any notice length and start date.

Two years or more of service

Employee-side statutory minimum is still one week; length of service does not change the employee-side minimum. Contractual notice almost always applies. On the employer side, statutory minimum rises with service (one week per year, capped at twelve weeks at twelve years).

If you are in probation

Probation notice is set by the contract and is almost always shorter than the post-probation figure. Typical patterns:

One week during probation, one month afterwards.
One month during probation, three months afterwards.
Two weeks during probation, two months afterwards.

For the detail see probation period notice period and resigning during probation period.

NHS staff

The Agenda for Change contract sets standard notice:

Bands 1-4: one month.
Bands 5-9: three months.
Consultants: three to six months by individual contract.
Doctors in training: three months, tied to rotation.

For the full comparison see NHS notice periods by band and the NHS notice period calculator.

Teachers

Teachers under the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD) have three statutory resignation dates:

31 October to leave at the end of the autumn term.
28 February to leave at the end of the spring term.
31 May to leave at the end of the summer term.

These are effectively terminal notice deadlines. Missing one means waiting for the next window. For the detail see teacher resignation dates and the teacher notice period calculator.

Civil Service

Civil Service notice is grade-specific:

AO to HEO: typically one to three months.
SEO to Grade 6/7: typically three months.
Senior Civil Service: individual contracts, often six months.
Fast Stream: scheme-specific notice with posting constraints.

For the detail see civil service notice period.

Police officers

Police officers give notice under Regulation 12/12A of the Police Regulations 2003. The typical minimum is one month for constables and sergeants, with longer notice at senior ranks and during probation restrictions.

For the detail see police officer notice period.

Fire service

Fire service staff are covered by the Grey Book (national conditions of service). Notice is typically one month for wholetime firefighters, longer at senior ranks.

For the detail see fire service notice period.

Armed forces

Armed forces personnel use Premature Voluntary Release (PVR) not a resignation in the civilian sense. Notice periods vary by service, rank and time-served commitments. See armed forces voluntary release for the detail.

How to give notice properly

Once you know the length, the practical steps are:

Draft a short professional resignation letter. The resignation letter generator builds one from a few fields.
Calculate the final working day. The final working day calculator does this with weekend and bank holiday rollback.
Hand in the letter to your line manager, copied to HR.
Confirm the acceptance in writing. Most employers reply with a brief acceptance note.

For the full sequence from resignation to last day, see the complete UK resignation guide.

Useful calculators

Related guides

Frequently asked questions

How much notice do I legally have to give?: In the UK, your contract sets the operative figure. Below that, section 86 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 requires you to give at least one week once you have completed one month of service. Below one month of service, no statutory notice applies. The contract almost always requires longer (one to three months for most professional roles).
What if my contract does not say anything about notice?: Statutory minimum applies. That is one week from one month of service. Some contracts have terms implied through custom and practice, particularly in older or unionised workplaces, in which case a longer notice may be implied. If unsure, take advice from ACAS or your union before resigning.
Do I have to give the full contractual notice or can I give less?: You are required to give the full contractual notice. Giving less breaches the contract. In practice, the consequences for junior employees are usually limited to lost pay for unworked days and a more cautious reference. For senior or regulated roles the impact can be much greater (breach claims, injunctions, professional-conduct referrals). Negotiating a shorter notice is safer than walking out.
Can I resign with immediate effect?: Only if the employer's conduct amounts to a fundamental breach entitling you to treat the contract as ended (constructive dismissal). Otherwise, walking out with no notice is a breach of contract. See resigning with immediate effect for the detail on when this is lawful.
Do I have to give notice in writing?: Not legally required unless the contract specifies. Written notice is strongly recommended because it fixes the date and terms. A short email to your line manager copying HR is enough for most UK employers. The resignation letter generator on this site produces a suitable letter in seconds.

Sources and further reading

Employment Rights Act 1996, section 86 — Statutory minimum notice from employer and employee.
GOV.UK: Handing in your notice — Government guidance for employees.
ACAS: Notice periods — Free UK employment advice.

General guidance, not legal advice. Your contract sets the operative figure. For disputes, contact ACAS or an employment-law solicitor.