Notice

Employees and employers both have the right to notice before the contract is ended. The statutory right to notice is found is section 86 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 ( ERA 96). These are minimum rights. The parties can agree to longer, but not shorter periods of notice.

If the contract says nothing about notice, the courts can imply a need for “reasonable” notice, taking account of factors, such as length of service and seniority (Clarke v Fahrenheit 451 (Communications) Limited [2000] All ER (D) 849).