data tool
Notice period calculator for Australia
Under the Fair Work Act an employer must give at least 1 week's notice for service of a year or less, 2 weeks over 1 and up to 3 years, 3 weeks over 3 and up to 5, and 4 weeks over 5, plus 1 more week for an employee over 45 with at least 2 years' service. This calculator works out the weeks, the last day and the pay in lieu.
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How it works
- 1
Enter the dates
Type the first day of work and the day the employer gives notice.
- 2
Add the date of birth
Type the employee's date of birth so the extra week over 45 can be tested.
- 3
Enter the full rate
Type the full weekly rate of pay, including loadings and allowances that are part of it.
- 4
Read the result
The tiles show the minimum weeks, the last day, the pay in lieu and the service.
The four bands and the extra week
Section 117(3) of the Fair Work Act sets the minimum period: not more than 1 year of continuous service, 1 week; more than 1 year and not more than 3, 2 weeks; more than 3 and not more than 5, 3 weeks; more than 5, 4 weeks. An employee over 45 with at least 2 years of continuous service gets one more week. Service is measured at the end of the day notice is given, so an employee who started on 2 November 2025 and is given notice on 2 November 2026 has more than a year and gets 2 weeks.
Three cases worked through
An employee who started on 19 July 2021, born on 30 May 1976, is given notice on 2 November 2026. Service is more than 5 years, so the base is 4 weeks, and at 50 with more than 2 years the extra week applies: 5 weeks, ending on 7 December 2026 if worked. A 30 year old with 18 months gets 2 weeks. A 47 year old with 22 months gets 2 weeks and no extra week, because the 2 year test is not met. The pay in lieu is the weeks times the full weekly rate typed.
Full rate of pay, not base rate
Pay in lieu of notice uses the full rate of pay the employee would have received for their ordinary hours during the notice period, which includes incentive payments, loadings, monetary allowances, overtime and penalty rates where they are part of ordinary pay. Redundancy pay, by contrast, uses the base rate without those amounts. Mixing the two up underpays notice, so the calculator asks for the full weekly rate.
Who is outside the rule
The minimum does not apply to casual employees, employees engaged for a specified period or task that ends as agreed, trainees whose training ends, some seasonal workers, and employees dismissed for serious misconduct. An award or enterprise agreement may give more notice and usually sets how much notice the employee must give when resigning. The National Employment Standards do not require employee notice themselves.
Over 45, exactly
The extra week applies to an employee who is over 45 on the day notice is given and has at least 2 years of continuous service. The calculator treats someone as over 45 from the day after their 45th birthday, and applies the 2 year test to the same service it uses for the bands. A 46 year old with 3 years and 8 months gets 3 weeks plus 1, so 4 weeks.
Putting it in writing
The Fair Work Act requires an employer to give written notice of the day of termination. A termination letter therefore states the date notice is given, the last day, whether the notice will be worked or paid in lieu, and what is owed in leave and pay. The AI document generator writes that letter from a description that includes the figures from this calculator.
Limits
- Law checked on 21 October 2026 against the Fair Work Act 2009 section 117. This is arithmetic, not legal advice.
- Employer notice only; how much notice an employee gives comes from the award, agreement or contract.
- Casuals, employees on fixed term contracts that end on their date, and dismissals for serious misconduct are outside the rule.
- Service is counted to the day notice is given; some unpaid leave does not count towards it.
What it does not do
- It does not work out redundancy pay; the redundancy calculator does.
- It does not decide whether a dismissal is fair.
- It does not store the dates or pay.
Questions people ask
How much notice does my employer have to give me?
At least 1 week for a year of service or less, 2 weeks for over 1 and up to 3 years, 3 weeks for over 3 and up to 5 years, and 4 weeks for over 5 years, plus 1 extra week if you are over 45 with at least 2 years of service. Your award or contract can give more.
Do I get an extra week over 45?
Yes, if you are over 45 on the day notice is given and have completed at least 2 years of continuous service with the employer. The extra week is added to the band for your length of service, so the most anyone gets under the NES is 5 weeks.
Is payment in lieu of notice allowed?
Yes. An employer can pay the employee instead of giving notice, at the full rate of pay for the hours the employee would have worked during the notice period. The employment can then end straight away. Part notice and part payment is also possible.
What notice does an employee owe when resigning in Australia?
The National Employment Standards do not set employee notice. Most awards and enterprise agreements do, often matching the employer's table without the extra week, and many contracts set their own. If you leave without giving it, an award may let the employer withhold some pay.
Does unpaid leave count as service for notice?
Most unpaid leave does not count towards the length of continuous service, though it does not break it. Paid leave, and some unpaid leave such as community service leave, counts. Taking out the uncounted days can move an employee into a lower band.
Is notice owed for serious misconduct?
No. An employee dismissed for serious misconduct, such as theft, fraud or assault, is not owed notice under the NES. The employer must still pay outstanding wages and accrued annual leave, and the dismissal can be challenged at the Fair Work Commission.
Write the termination letter
Take what you made here into documents.
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Background reading: the question page on this.
Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked .