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Employment rates and thresholds:
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom numbers an employer needs in one place: pay floors, contributions, leave and termination minimums. Each row carries its source.

What are the key United Kingdom employment rates for 2026-27?

From April 2026 the National Living Wage is £12.71 an hour, employer National Insurance runs at 15% above £5,000 a year, and Statutory Sick Pay is the lower of 80% of earnings or £123.25 a week from day one.

The United Kingdom numbers, each with its source

Pay floors

Item2026-27 figureSource
National Living Wage (21+)£12.71/hour from 1 Apr 2026GOV.UK
18-20 rate / under-18 and apprentice£10.85 / £8.00 per hourGOV.UK

Employer contributions

Item2026-27 figureSource
Employer National Insurance15% above £5,000 a year (£96/week)HMRC
Employment AllowanceUp to £10,500 off employer NI for eligible employersHMRC
Pension auto-enrolment3% employer minimum on the £6,240-£50,270 qualifying band; £10,000 triggerThe Pensions Regulator
Apprenticeship Levy0.5% of paybill with a £15,000 allowance (bites above £3M)HMRC

Leave and holidays

Item2026-27 figureSource
Statutory holiday5.6 weeks, capped at 28 days; bank holidays countable within itGOV.UK
Statutory Sick PayLower of 80% of average weekly earnings or £123.25/week, from day one, up to 28 weeksHMRC
Bank holidays8 in England and Wales (9 Scotland, 10 Northern Ireland)GOV.UK

Termination

Item2026-27 figureSource
Statutory notice1 week per year of service from 2 years, capped at 12 weeksGOV.UK
Statutory redundancy pay0.5/1/1.5 weeks per year by age band; £751/week cap, £22,530 maximumGOV.UK

Thresholds and caps

Item2026-27 figureSource
Unfair dismissal qualifying period2 years now; 6 months from 1 Jan 2027, when the compensation cap also goesbusiness.gov.uk

Cross-market context for every one of these figures: employer costs, notice periods, redundancy pay, sick pay and annual leave, all six markets side by side.

Next step

Calculator

True cost of an employee (UK)

Turn these rates into a loaded cost for one hire, on local figures.

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Employer costs by country

The on-costs behind these rates, six markets side by side.

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Notice periods by country

Statutory notice in all six markets, with worked examples.

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All HR calculators

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The rates are the floor.
Fit is the outcome.

Compono is a talent intelligence platform: an applicant tracking system and an employee engagement platform built on the same people data.

Rates and thresholds are the part of employment you can look up. Whether the people those rates buy will perform is the part you cannot, and it is where most hiring cost actually hides. Compono gives you the people data to make hires you can defend in any market.

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Common questions

Where do these United Kingdom figures come from?

Every row links its government source: GOV.UK. We checked each figure against that source in July 2026 and note the effective date where a rate changed recently.

How often do these rates change?

Most reset annually. We review the full table each year and after major legislative changes, and the last-reviewed date in the footer tells you exactly where you stand.

How current are these figures?

Every figure on this page was checked against the named government source in July 2026. We review the whole set annually and after major legislative changes, and the sources section lists the exact page we verified each market against.

This page is general information, not legal advice. We check figures annually and update them on a best-efforts basis, but employment rules change and we cannot promise everything here is current or complete. Before you act on it, confirm the detail with GOV.UK or your own adviser. Last reviewed July 2026.