Redundancy notice periods: what you're entitled to

The statutory minimums

The law sets a floor on how much notice your employer must give you. Per GOV.UK: at least one week's notice if you've been employed between one month and 2 years; one week's notice for each year if you've been employed between 2 and 12 years; and 12 weeks' notice if you've been employed for 12 years or more.

Your contract can give you more notice than the statutory minimum — many do — but never less. If your contract says one month and you've worked eight years, the statutory eight weeks wins. Check both numbers and take the higher.

Notice pay

You must be paid through your notice period. Per GOV.UK, notice pay is based on the average you earned per week over the 12 weeks before your notice period starts. If your hours or earnings vary, check the averaging — the same 12-week window issue that affects statutory redundancy pay applies here.

During notice you generally keep your contractual benefits, and you're entitled to reasonable time off to look for a new job — GOV.UK lists time off to find work among your redundancy rights.

Payment in lieu of notice (PILON)

If your contract includes a payment-in-lieu clause, your employer can end your employment immediately and pay you for the notice period instead. Per GOV.UK, payment in lieu covers all basic pay for the notice period, plus contractual extras such as pension contributions or private health care insurance where the contract provides for them.

One tax point worth knowing before you look at the total: payment in lieu of notice is taxed as earnings — it does not benefit from the £30,000 exemption that covers statutory redundancy pay. GOV.UK's termination payments guidance sets out the split; our tax page covers it in plain English.

Many employers instead keep you employed but ask you not to come in during notice — commonly called garden leave. You remain an employee, on full pay and benefits, until the notice period ends; the practical difference from PILON is that your employment (and things like share vesting or bonus eligibility dates) continues through the notice period. What applies to you depends on your contract's wording.

Consultation comes first

Notice is not the first step — consultation is. You're entitled to a consultation with your employer about why you're being made redundant and any alternatives to redundancy (GOV.UK). Where 20 or more redundancies are proposed at once, collective rules apply: consultation must start at least 30 days before any dismissal takes effect (45 days where 100 or more redundancies are proposed), through a trade union rep or elected employee rep.

Since 6 April 2026, the penalty employers face for failing to consult collectively has doubled — the maximum protective award rose from 90 to 180 days' pay per affected employee under the Employment Rights Act 2025 (Acas). If your employer skipped or rushed collective consultation, that award is claimed at tribunal, so take advice before signing anything — and note the tribunal time limits on our Acas process page.