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Free tools › Notice periods by country

Notice period: Australia vs United Kingdom

Statutory notice period in Australia and the UK, side by side, with the primary source for every figure.

How do notice periods compare between Australia and UK?

Australia: 1 to 4 weeks by length of service, plus 1 extra week for employees over 45 with at least 2 years' service. United Kingdom: 1 week after a month's service, then 1 week per full year from 2 years, capped at 12 weeks. At five years' service that means 3 weeks in Australia and 5 weeks in the UK.

Australia vs United Kingdom, side by side

AustraliaUnited Kingdom
The rule1 to 4 weeks by length of service, plus 1 extra week for employees over 45 with at least 2 years' service.1 week after a month's service, then 1 week per full year from 2 years, capped at 12 weeks.
At 1 year1 week1 week
At 5 years3 weeks5 weeks
At 10 years4 weeks10 weeks
Key numbersMinimum employer notice: 1 to 4 weeks by tenure; Over-45 addition: +1 week (over 45, 2+ years' service); Payment in lieu: Permitted, at the full pay rateEmployer notice: 1 week per year of service (2-12 years); Cap: 12 weeks; Employee minimum: 1 week

Australia

The National Employment Standards set minimum written notice (or payment in lieu at the full rate) on a four-band tenure scale. The over-45 addition sits on top. Awards and agreements can require more, and they are also what obliges an employee to give notice, the NES itself does not.

  • Minimum employer notice1 to 4 weeks by tenure
  • Over-45 addition+1 week (over 45, 2+ years' service)
  • Payment in lieuPermitted, at the full pay rate
Length of serviceEntitlement
1 year or less1 week
More than 1 year, up to 3 years2 weeks
More than 3 years, up to 5 years3 weeks
More than 5 years4 weeks
  • Bands read 'more than X years': at exactly 5 years the entitlement is 3 weeks, not 4.
  • No NES notice for casuals, genuine fixed-term contracts or serious misconduct.

Source: Fair Work Ombudsman (NES, in force since 2010). Checked July 2026.

United Kingdom

Statutory minimum notice from an employer is 1 week between one month and 2 years' service, then 1 week per complete year of service up to a 12-week cap at 12 years. Employees owe at least 1 week after a month. Contracts can extend either side but never go below the statutory floor.

  • Employer notice1 week per year of service (2-12 years)
  • Cap12 weeks
  • Employee minimum1 week
Length of serviceEntitlement
1 month to 2 years1 week
2 to 12 years1 week per complete year
12 years or more12 weeks (cap)
  • The Employment Rights Act 2025 changed a lot in the UK, but not statutory notice; s.86 stands.

Source: GOV.UK (Employment Rights Act 1996 s.86). Checked July 2026.

Hiring in both markets?

Put a full number on each side with the true-cost calculators: True cost of an employee (Australia) and True cost of an employee (UK). The complete six-market picture is on the Notice periods by country page.

Sources

Every figure on this page comes from the government source for its market.

MarketSourceRule / effectiveVerified
AustraliaFair Work OmbudsmanNES, in force since 2010Checked July 2026
United KingdomGOV.UKEmployment Rights Act 1996 s.86Checked July 2026
Where Compono fits

Comparing entitlements is the easy half of hiring across markets. The hard half is whether the person you hire in Sydney, Singapore or Seattle will actually work out, and that risk looks the same in every jurisdiction. Compono matches candidates on how they work, not just what the CV claims, so the hires behind these numbers hold up wherever you make them.

See how it works

Common questions

What is the rule on notice period in Australia?

1 to 4 weeks by length of service, plus 1 extra week for employees over 45 with at least 2 years' service. The National Employment Standards set minimum written notice (or payment in lieu at the full rate) on a four-band tenure scale.

What is the rule on notice period in the UK?

1 week after a month's service, then 1 week per full year from 2 years, capped at 12 weeks. Statutory minimum notice from an employer is 1 week between one month and 2 years' service, then 1 week per complete year of service up to a 12-week cap at 12 years.

Where can I check the source figures?

The sources section below links the Australia and the UK government pages every figure on this page was verified against in July 2026.

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 the Fair Work Ombudsman, GOV.UK or your own adviser. Last reviewed July 2026.