Chapter 1
Right to notice
[page 10]Employees and employers are both entitled to notice before an employment contract is ended (section 86, Employment Rights Act 1996 (ERA 96)). These are minimum rights. The parties can agree to longer but not shorter notice periods.
If the contract says nothing about notice, courts can sometimes imply a requirement for reasonable notice that exceeds the statutory minimum, taking account of factors such as length of service and seniority (Clarke v Fahrenheit 451 (Communications) Ltd [2000] All ER (D) 849).