When can they start?
The day they resign, their notice period, and any holiday they'll take at the end. Out comes the first working day they're free, with every bank holiday in between.
How it works.
Notice runs from the day after it's given. A week's notice handed in on a Monday ends the following Monday; a month's notice handed in on 15 March ends on 15 April. If the next month is shorter, it ends on that month's last day. Their contract decides the length, and whether it's in weeks or months.
The start date is the first working day after notice ends: not a weekend, and not a bank holiday in the part of the UK you choose. Bank holidays come from GOV.UK, which lists them about two years ahead.
Holiday taken at the end of notice moves their last day in the office earlier, not the end of their employment, so the start date doesn't change. Until employment ends they're still employed, so starting earlier needs the current employer to agree to release them.
The statutory minimum notice from an employee is one week, once they've worked there a month. Most contracts ask for more, and the contract wins.
A guide, not legal advice. It applies the rules as written to the dates and figures you enter. Your own terms and the facts of a case can change the answer; if money or a dispute turns on it, check with an employment lawyer.
Rules as of 21 October 2026
When the rules change.
Rates and thresholds move most Aprils. Leave your email and we'll tell you when this tool is updated. We won't use it for anything else, and you can ask us to delete it at hello@hikari-ai.co.uk.
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