Notice Period Calculator Australia
Find the minimum notice an employer must give under the Fair Work Act, from the employee's length of continuous service and age.
Include unpaid leave such as parental leave. Leave out time as a casual and unauthorised absences.
With at least 2 years of continuous service this adds a week.
This is the minimum under the National Employment Standards. Your award, enterprise agreement or contract may require more. The employer can pay in lieu of notice instead of the employee working it.
Minimum notice by length of service
Section 117 of the Fair Work Act 2009 sets these periods, counted by continuous service at the end of the day notice is given.
| Continuous service | Minimum notice |
|---|---|
| Not more than 1 year | 1 week |
| More than 1 year but not more than 3 years | 2 weeks |
| More than 3 years but not more than 5 years | 3 weeks |
| More than 5 years | 4 weeks |
Add 1 week if the employee is over 45 years old and has completed at least 2 years of continuous service.
Using the result
The result is the National Employment Standards minimum. A modern award, an enterprise agreement or an employment contract can require a longer period, and a contract cannot give less than the minimum. Check the Fair Work dismissal page, which has a filter for award notice rules.
The employer can let the employee work the notice period, pay it out, or do both. When it is paid out the payment must match what the employee would have earned. Pay owed on termination, including unused annual leave, is in the final pay calculator, and the Fair Work final pay page sets out what final pay includes.
When an employee resigns, how much notice they give is set by their award, agreement or contract. This page does not calculate that. See Fair Work: Resignation.
Notice period questions
How much notice must an employer give in Australia?
Under the National Employment Standards the minimum is 1 week for not more than 1 year, 2 weeks for more than 1 year but not more than 3 years, 3 weeks for more than 3 years but not more than 5 years, 4 weeks for more than 5 years of continuous service. Employees over 45 with at least 2 years of continuous service get 1 week more. An award, enterprise agreement or contract can require longer.
Does a casual employee get a notice period?
No. The National Employment Standards do not give casual employees a notice period, and time worked as a casual does not usually count towards continuous service for notice if the person later becomes permanent. Employees on a fixed term, season or task, and employees dismissed for serious misconduct, also get no NES notice.
Can an employer pay instead of giving notice?
Yes. This is called payment in lieu of notice. The employee's employment ends on the day notice is given, and the employer pays what the employee would have been paid working the whole notice period, including overtime, penalty rates, loadings, allowances and bonuses that would have been earned.
When does the notice period start?
The day after the employer tells the employee that their employment is ending. It ends on the last day of employment. Leave and public holidays during the notice period do not extend it.
Does unpaid leave count towards continuous service?
Yes, for notice under the National Employment Standards. Continuous service includes unpaid leave such as unpaid parental leave and does not include unauthorised absences. Add the time on leave to your length of service before using the calculator.
How much notice does an employee give when resigning?
It depends on the award, enterprise agreement or employment contract, not the National Employment Standards, so this calculator does not work it out. Casual employees do not have to give notice. See the Fair Work resignation page and the final pay calculator for what is owed when employment ends.
Is redundancy pay the same as notice?
No. Notice, or payment in lieu, is separate from redundancy pay, which has its own table by years of service. Use the redundancy payout calculator for both.
Tax Accuracy & Sources
Reviewed: 6 November 2026 · Tax year: 2026-27
Calculates the National Employment Standards minimum notice from the service and age you enter. It does not read your award, agreement or contract, and it does not decide whether someone is a casual or whether a dismissal is lawful. This is general information, not advice about your job.