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Free tools › Notice periods by country

Notice period: United Kingdom vs United States

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

How do notice periods compare between UK and US?

United Kingdom: 1 week after a month's service, then 1 week per full year from 2 years, capped at 12 weeks. United States: None. Employment is at-will; the only federal notice rule is the WARN Act's 60 days for qualifying mass layoffs.

United Kingdom vs United States, side by side

United KingdomUnited States
The rule1 week after a month's service, then 1 week per full year from 2 years, capped at 12 weeks.None. Employment is at-will; the only federal notice rule is the WARN Act's 60 days for qualifying mass layoffs.
At 1 year1 weekNo statutory scale
At 5 years5 weeksNo statutory scale
At 10 years10 weeksNo statutory scale
Key numbersEmployer notice: 1 week per year of service (2-12 years); Cap: 12 weeks; Employee minimum: 1 weekIndividual dismissal: No federal notice requirement; WARN Act: 60 days, mass layoffs at 100+ employee firms; State variation: Mini-WARN laws in several states

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.

United States

No US federal law requires notice for an individual dismissal. The WARN Act requires 60 calendar days' written notice, but only for plant closings and mass layoffs at employers with 100 or more employees, and several states run stricter mini-WARN versions. Individual notice, where it exists, comes from the contract.

  • Individual dismissalNo federal notice requirement
  • WARN Act60 days, mass layoffs at 100+ employee firms
  • State variationMini-WARN laws in several states
  • Montana is the main exception to pure at-will employment.
  • Failing to give WARN notice costs up to 60 days' back pay and benefits per employee.

Source: US Department of Labor (WARN Act 1988). Checked July 2026.

Hiring in both markets?

Put a full number on each side with the true-cost calculators: True cost of an employee (UK) and True cost of an employee (US). 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
United KingdomGOV.UKEmployment Rights Act 1996 s.86Checked July 2026
United StatesUS Department of LaborWARN Act 1988Checked 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 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.

What is the rule on notice period in the US?

None. Employment is at-will; the only federal notice rule is the WARN Act's 60 days for qualifying mass layoffs. No US federal law requires notice for an individual dismissal.

Where can I check the source figures?

The sources section below links the the UK and the US 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 GOV.UK, the US Department of Labor or your own adviser. Last reviewed July 2026.