Archive · Originally published 2018-08-29
Editorially revised on 8 November 2026. This page records an earlier topic; follow the current guide below for present-day advice.
The issue
The statutory baseline is four weeks to the fifteenth or the end of a calendar month. Employer notice periods generally lengthen with service. A valid probationary arrangement may permit a shorter period within the statutory framework; collective and contractual provisions require separate review.
How to read this today
Four weeks means 28 days, not one calendar month. Receipt, rather than dispatch, is central to calculating a notice deadline. A contractual clause may extend notice for the employee as well as the employer, but cannot simply ignore mandatory protections.
Practical context
For any proposed termination, give us the contract, start date, collective terms and the intended delivery date. We can then distinguish the last date for service from the actual end of employment.