Skip to the main content.
Talk to an expert
Talk to an expert
Featured Offer
Ambitious 50 →
6 months of Hire and Engage free for businesses under 50 people.

Hey Compono!

A coach that actually gets you.

Get 10 minutes free, then $15 a month. Cancel anytime.

Get Started ≫
Free tools › Notice periods by country

Notice period: New Zealand vs United Kingdom

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

How do notice periods compare between New Zealand and UK?

New Zealand: No statutory minimum. The employment agreement governs, and 2 to 4 weeks is commonly treated as fair and reasonable. United Kingdom: 1 week after a month's service, then 1 week per full year from 2 years, capped at 12 weeks.

New Zealand vs United Kingdom, side by side

New ZealandUnited Kingdom
The ruleNo statutory minimum. The employment agreement governs, and 2 to 4 weeks is commonly treated as fair and reasonable.1 week after a month's service, then 1 week per full year from 2 years, capped at 12 weeks.
At 1 yearNo statutory scale1 week
At 5 yearsNo statutory scale5 weeks
At 10 yearsNo statutory scale10 weeks
Key numbersStatutory minimum: None; Common practice: 2 to 4 weeks (guidance, not law); 90-day trials: Notice must be given within the trial periodEmployer notice: 1 week per year of service (2-12 years); Cap: 12 weeks; Employee minimum: 1 week

New Zealand

New Zealand law sets no minimum notice period. Whatever the employment agreement says applies, and where it says nothing, notice must be fair and reasonable for the role, judged on things like length of service and how long a replacement takes to find. Employment New Zealand's own guidance points to 2 to 4 weeks as the common range.

  • Statutory minimumNone
  • Common practice2 to 4 weeks (guidance, not law)
  • 90-day trialsNotice must be given within the trial period
  • A dismissal under a valid 90-day trial generally cannot be challenged as unjustified.
  • From 21 Feb 2026, employees on new agreements earning NZ$200,000 or more cannot raise an unjustified dismissal grievance, though contractual notice still applies.

Source: Employment New Zealand (Employment Relations Act 2000). 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 (New Zealand) 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
New ZealandEmployment New ZealandEmployment Relations Act 2000Checked 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 New Zealand?

No statutory minimum. The employment agreement governs, and 2 to 4 weeks is commonly treated as fair and reasonable. New Zealand law sets no minimum notice period.

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 New Zealand 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 Employment New Zealand, GOV.UK or your own adviser. Last reviewed July 2026.