# What notice must a client give a placed employee: one week to 12 weeks by length of service, and what notice pay comes to for five people

> The statutory minimum notice a client must give runs from one week to 12 weeks by service. Five placed staff worked through, with notice pay and end dates.

- Page to cite: https://aeolookup.com/recruitment/statutory-minimum-notice-employer-must-give-one-week-per-year-up-to-12-weeks-placed-staff-worked/
- Publisher: AEO Lookup (https://aeolookup.com/)
- Section: Recruitment agencies, AWR, right to work and the Conduct Regulations
- Published 27 October 2026
- Key fact: Five placed employees on an average of £1,150 a week (£13,800 over the 12 weeks before notice starts) are given notice on Monday 2 November 2026. With 3 months, 18 months, 2 years 5 months, 7 years 3 months and 15 years of service, the statutory minimum is 1, 1, 2, 7 and 12 weeks, which is £1,150, £1,150, £2,300, £8,050 and £13,800 of notice pay, £26,450 in all. Counting whole weeks from 2 November, the notices end on 9 November, 9 November, 16 November, 21 December 2026 and 25 January 2027. The 15-year employee costs 12 times what the 3-month employee costs.
- Sources: GOV.UK, "Redundancy: notice periods" (https://www.gov.uk/redundancy-your-rights/notice-periods). The page says you must be given a notice period before your employment ends, and sets the minimum at least one week for one month to 2 years of service, one week for each year of service from 2 to 12 years, and 12 weeks for 12 years or more. It says the contract may give more but never less, and that notice pay is based on average weekly earnings over the 12 weeks before the notice period starts. Employment can end without notice if the contract allows payment in lieu, which covers basic pay for the notice period plus contractual extras such as pension contributions. The page does not say what applies under one month of service, how a part year counts, or how to count the days. I did not read the Employment Rights Act 1996 or the redundancy pay calculator page. Read 27 October 2026.

A client took a permanent hire from the agency three years ago, and now wants to end the job. The finance director rings the recruiter and asks "how much notice do we have to give, and what does it cost?" The honest answer depends on length of service, and it has a floor the contract cannot go under. This guide uses the GOV.UK notice-period page and works five placed employees through it.

## What GOV.UK says

An employee "must be given a notice period before your employment ends". The statutory minimum depends on how long they have worked for the employer:

- **One month to 2 years:** at least one week.
- **2 to 12 years:** one week for each year of service.
- **12 years or more:** 12 weeks.

The contract may give more notice than that, never less. Notice pay is based on average weekly earnings over the 12 weeks before the notice period starts. An employer can end employment without notice only if the contract provides for payment in lieu, and then the employee is paid basic pay for the notice period plus any contractual extras, such as pension contributions or private health insurance.

The page says nothing about service under one month and does not explain how a part year counts. My table assumes whole completed years, which is my reading and not the page's wording.

## Five placed employees, notice given Monday 2 November 2026

Each earns the same: £13,800 over the 12 weeks before notice starts, so £13,800 / 12 = **£1,150 a week**. Only service differs.

| Placed employee | Service | Statutory minimum | Notice pay | Notice ends (whole weeks from Mon 2 Nov) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 3 months | 1 week | £1,150 | Mon 9 Nov 2026 |
| B | 18 months | 1 week | £1,150 | Mon 9 Nov 2026 |
| C | 2 years 5 months | 2 weeks | £2,300 | Mon 16 Nov 2026 |
| D | 7 years 3 months | 7 weeks | £8,050 | Mon 21 Dec 2026 |
| E | 15 years | 12 weeks | £13,800 | Mon 25 Jan 2027 |

The sums, checked twice:

- **Weeks times £1,150:** 1 x 1,150 = 1,150; 2 x 1,150 = 2,300; 7 x 1,150 = 8,050; 12 x 1,150 = 13,800.
- **Total:** 1,150 + 1,150 + 2,300 + 8,050 + 13,800 = **£26,450**.
- **Dates:** 2 November + 7 days = 9 November; + 14 = 16 November; + 49 = 21 December (28 days to 30 November, then 21 more); + 84 = 25 January 2027 (28 to 30 November, 31 to 31 December, 25 more).
- **Spread:** £13,800 / £1,150 = 12, so the longest-serving employee costs 12 times the newest on the statutory minimum.

The ending dates count whole weeks from the day notice starts. The page gives no day-counting rule, so a contract or an adviser should confirm the exact last day.

## What this means on the desk

- **Say "at least".** The figure above is a floor. If the contract says a month or three months, the contract wins.
- **Check what the contract says about pay in lieu.** Without that clause, ending employment on the spot is not an option.
- **Ask for the 12-week earnings.** Overtime and bonuses may move the weekly average, and the page ties notice pay to the 12 weeks before notice starts.
- **Keep the fee side straight.** If the dismissal falls inside a rebate period, the [fee and rebate calculator](https://aeolookup.com/recruitment/recruitment-fee-and-rebate-calculator/) shows what the client may be owed back. Redundancy pay is a separate sum: see the [statutory redundancy pay guide](https://aeolookup.com/recruitment/statutory-redundancy-pay-weekly-cap-751-max-22530-agency-staff-worked/).
- **Agency temps are a different case.** Who the employer is differs there, so see [who pays statutory sick pay](https://aeolookup.com/recruitment/statutory-sick-pay-agency-temps-who-pays-when-it-ends/) for how that question runs.

## What the page does not say

It is silent on service under one month, part years and day counting, and I did not read the Employment Rights Act 1996. The figures above are arithmetic on the GOV.UK minimums, not a view on whether a dismissal is fair.

Overlyft ![](https://aeolookup.com/img/d/ours-badge.png) builds AI staff who join your placements team and, when a client asks about ending a placed hire, pull the start date and the last 12 weeks of pay, work out the minimum notice and notice pay, and queue a draft reply for a person to check and send.

This is general information, not payroll or legal advice. Check GOV.UK and the contract before you rely on a date or a sum.

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General information for UK small firms, not legal, tax or financial advice.