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Free tools › Notice periods by country

Notice period:
Canada vs United Kingdom

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

How do notice periods compare between Canada and UK?

Canada: Ontario: 1 to 8 weeks by tenure after 3 months' employment. Common law can add more on top, but it is a judicial assessment, not a formula. 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 5 weeks in Canada and 5 weeks in the UK.

Canada vs United Kingdom, side by side

CanadaUnited Kingdom
The ruleOntario: 1 to 8 weeks by tenure after 3 months' employment. Common law can add more on top, but it is a judicial assessment, not a formula.1 week after a month's service, then 1 week per full year from 2 years, capped at 12 weeks.
At 1 year2 weeks1 week
At 5 years5 weeks5 weeks
At 10 years8 weeks10 weeks
Key numbersOntario notice: 1 to 8 weeks by tenure; Qualifying period: 3 months; Federal scale: 2 weeks, then 1 week per year from 3 years (cap 8)Employer notice: 1 week per year of service (2-12 years); Cap: 12 weeks; Employee minimum: 1 week

Canada

Ontario's Employment Standards Act scales written notice (or pay in lieu) at roughly a week per year of service, capping at 8 weeks. Courts can award longer common-law reasonable notice based on the Bardal factors, which is why Canadian termination costs are hard to predict from statute alone; the ESA figure is the floor, not the estimate. Federally regulated employers follow a separate graduated scale, 2 weeks until 3 years' service and then a week per year to the same 8-week cap.

  • Ontario notice1 to 8 weeks by tenure
  • Qualifying period3 months
  • Federal scale2 weeks, then 1 week per year from 3 years (cap 8)
  • Common lawCan exceed the ESA floor; no formula
Length of serviceEntitlement
Under 3 monthsNone
3 months to under 1 year1 week
1 to under 3 years2 weeks
3 to under 4 years3 weeks
4 to under 5 years4 weeks
5 to under 6 years5 weeks
6 to under 7 years6 weeks
7 to under 8 years7 weeks
8 years or more8 weeks (cap)
  • We publish the statutory minimums only. Common-law reasonable notice is real and often larger, but courts reject per-year formulas, so no calculator or table can state it honestly.
  • Provinces vary; Ontario is the reference jurisdiction here.

Source: Ontario ESA guide (ESA 2000; federal scale from 1 Feb 2024). 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.

Sources

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

MarketSourceRule / effectiveVerified
CanadaOntario ESA guideESA 2000; federal scale from 1 Feb 2024Checked July 2026
United KingdomGOV.UKEmployment Rights Act 1996 s.86Checked July 2026

Next step

Calculator

True cost of an employee (Canada)

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True cost of an employee (UK)

The same loaded-cost maths for the UK, on local rates.

Run the UK number →Compare markets

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Common questions

What is the rule on notice period in Canada?

Ontario: 1 to 8 weeks by tenure after 3 months' employment. Common law can add more on top, but it is a judicial assessment, not a formula. Ontario's Employment Standards Act scales written notice (or pay in lieu) at roughly a week per year of service, capping at 8 weeks.

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 Canada 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 your provincial employment standards office, GOV.UK or your own adviser. Last reviewed July 2026.