Notice when being dismissed or made redundant
An employee should get at least the legal minimum notice period ('statutory notice period') if:
- they are legally classed as an employee
- they have worked for the employer for at least a month
If they have worked for the employer for:
- 1 month to 2 years – statutory notice is 1 week
- 2 to 12 years – statutory notice is 1 week for each full year they have worked
- 12 years or more – statutory notice is 12 weeks
For example, if an employee has worked for their employer for 4 years and 9 months, they're entitled to a statutory notice period of 4 weeks.
The employee's contract or a staff policy might say a different amount of notice. This is called 'contractual' notice. The employer may give more notice than the statutory minimum, but they cannot give the employee less.
You should talk to your employer if you're not sure how much notice you’ll get.
Find out more about:
- dismissals
- employees rights during redundancy
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