When this is the right tool
Use this when your final working day is fixed and the resignation date is the unknown. Starting a new job on 1 September with three months notice? The resignation deadline is 1 June. The forward calculator on the homepage solves the opposite problem — fixed resignation date, unknown final day.
Related tools
- Leaving-a-job planner for the whole exit view
- Notice period calculator — forward from resignation to final day
- Resignation letter generator
- Notice timeline generator
- Handover plan generator
Frequently asked questions
- How do I calculate when to resign?
- Take your desired final working day and subtract your contractual notice period. If you want to leave on 31 July and have one month's notice, you need to resign by 30 June at the latest. Longer notice periods push the latest resignation date earlier. This calculator does the subtraction for you and rolls weekend end-dates back to the previous Friday if you want.
- Why work backwards instead of forwards?
- Because real decisions start with the end date. People resign to line up a new-job start, a holiday, a family event or a university term — the final day is fixed and the resignation date flexes. The forward calculator on the homepage goes resignation → final day. This one goes final day → resignation.
- What if the calculated resignation date is in the past?
- Your target final day is too soon for your contractual notice length. Either push the final day back or negotiate a shorter notice — many employers will agree if cover is in place. Garden leave and PILON can also shorten the real-world window but need employer agreement.
- Does the calculator include bank holidays?
- Notice runs in calendar time, so bank holidays and weekends are inside the window. The calculator subtracts calendar days; if your contract defines notice differently (business days only, for example), adjust the notice length to match.