Notice Period Calculator

How to use it

1. Pick which question you are answering. "When is my last working day?" works forwards from the day you resign. "I need to finish by a certain date" works backwards, which is what you want when a new employer has given you a start date.
2. Set your notice period and how it is counted. The two settings that change the answer most are calendar days versus working days and whether the period starts today or tomorrow. Both are explained below.
3. Read the last working day, not just the end date. The date your notice period expires is often not a day you work. The calculator always shows the last working day as the main answer.

Calendar days or working days — the setting that changes everything

Two weeks' notice can mean two different things, and the difference is four days:

• Calendar days: two weeks is 14 days, weekends included. Resigning on a Monday gives a notice period that ends on the Monday two weeks later.
• Working days: two weeks is 10 working days, weekends skipped. Resigning on a Monday gives a last working day on the Friday two weeks later.

Contracts differ on which one they mean, and the phrase "two weeks" on its own does not settle it. Run both settings and compare; then read your contract or staff handbook and use whichever it specifies. If your contract says "10 working days", the working day setting is the accurate one.

Does the notice period start today or tomorrow?

This is the other one-day ambiguity, and it is easy to get wrong because both conventions are common. Some contracts count the notice period from the day you give notice; others count from the following day. A single day can move your last working day, and it matters if you are trying to hit a specific start date.

Rather than pick one and hope, this calculator makes you choose. The default is the literal reading — the period starts on the day you hand in your notice. If your contract or local rules count from the next day, switch the setting and the answer updates.

When the period ends on a weekend or a holiday

Notice periods often expire on a Saturday or Sunday, because the arithmetic does not care about weekends. Your last working day is then the last day you actually work on or before that date, which is normally the Friday.

The same logic applies to holidays. If the period expires on a public holiday, your last working day moves back to the previous working day. Add your holiday dates in the tool and it will skip them — including when it works out which day you last actually work.

Month-long notice and resigning at the end of a month

Months are not interchangeable with a fixed number of days. One month from 15 March is 15 April; one month from 31 January is not 31 February, because that date does not exist.

The convention used here is the common one: when the matching date does not exist in the target month, the period ends on the last day of that month. So one month's notice given on 31 January ends on 28 February, or 29 February in a leap year. Three months' notice given on 30 November ends on 28 February.

That is why the unit selector matters. "One month" and "30 days" look similar and are not: 30 days from 31 January is 2 March.

Why there is no holiday calendar built in

We deliberately did not ship one. Public holidays differ by country and region, are set by different levels of government, change every year, and are frequently moved or substituted. A built-in list would be wrong for most visitors most of the time, and a wrong date here is worse than no date.

Instead, paste the holidays that apply to you — from your contract, your staff handbook or your government's published list — and the calculator will skip them. One date per line, or separated by commas.

Things that can move your last working day

The calculator gives you the date arithmetic. These are the arrangements that can change what actually happens, and they are worth checking before you commit to a date:

• Being paid instead of working your notice. Some employers end the employment immediately and pay you for the notice period. Your last working day then arrives much sooner than the arithmetic says.
• Garden leave. You stay employed and paid but are asked not to come in. The end date is unchanged; the last working day effectively moves to the day you are told to stop.
• Untaken holiday. Accrued but unused holiday is usually paid out or required to be taken during the notice period, which can pull your final working day earlier.
• Probation periods. Many contracts specify a shorter notice period during probation, often one week. Check which period applies to you on the day you resign.
• Notice during a trial or fixed term. Fixed-term contracts sometimes have different rules, and notice may interact with the term end date.

None of this is legal advice, and none of it changes the arithmetic. It is a list of reasons the real date may differ from the calculated one.

After you have the date

1. Put the last working day in writing. The cover letter template page shows the same plain, specific style that works in a resignation letter.
2. Line up your next application while you are still employed: start from the ATS-friendly resume template and check it with the free ATS check.
3. If the last two lines of your resume are the weak part, the summary examples page covers exactly that.
4. Once interviews start, the thank-you email templates are the follow-up most candidates never send. And if you have been told your resume is being rejected by software, read the ATS myth page before you rewrite anything.

Common questions

Is two weeks' notice 14 days or 10 working days?

It depends on how your contract counts. Counted as calendar days, two weeks is 14 days including weekends. Counted as working days, it is 10 working days, so a resignation on a Monday ends on the Friday two weeks later. Switch the "Count as" setting to see both answers and use the one your contract uses.

Does my notice period start the day I hand it in, or the day after?

Conventions differ, and so do contracts. Some count from the day you give notice, others from the following day. The calculator has a setting for both rather than guessing, because one day can change your last working day. Check which one your contract or staff handbook uses.

What if my notice period ends on a weekend or a holiday?

Your last working day is normally the last working day on or before the date the notice period ends. The calculator rolls back automatically, so a period ending on a Saturday gives you a Friday last working day. If you list company holidays, it rolls back past those too.

How does one month of notice work if I resign on the 31st?

A calendar month is counted to the same date in the following month. When that date does not exist, the usual convention is to take the last day of that month: resigning on 31 January with one month of notice ends on 28 February, or 29 February in a leap year. The calculator applies that rule.

Why is there no holiday calendar built in?

Public holidays vary by country, region and employer, move every year, and are frequently swapped for other days. Guessing would produce a confidently wrong date. Paste your own holiday dates instead and the calculator will skip them.

Is my last working day the same as the date my employment ends?

Often not. Your employment can continue past your last working day, for example if you are paid for your notice period without working it, or if you are on garden leave. The calculator works out the last day you work, which is usually what your resignation letter needs to state.

Can my employer refuse my notice, or make me leave sooner?

That is an employment law question, and the answer depends on your jurisdiction, your contract and your individual situation. This page is date arithmetic only and is not legal advice. Ask your HR team, a union representative or an employment lawyer if the situation is contested.