Recent research conducted by IDR reveals that a significant majority of employers maintain their own guidelines for notice periods, with many opting for longer periods, particularly for senior staff members.
In our January 2024 survey, employers were asked whether they rely on the statutory notice periods or if they implement their own rules, including any variations in notice periods for different employee groups. The survey findings indicate that only 10% of employers follow the statutory minimum of one week's notice for resigning employees, while 16% follow the statutory minimum notice periods for contract terminations.
Notice periods typically rise with seniority, although our research also identified instances where notice periods vary by specialism, with skilled or hard-to-recruit staff sometimes subject to stricter notice period requirements.
Common approaches include policies specifying notice periods of either one or three months’ notice; or one, three or six months' notice depending on the employee group. Notice periods of six months are typically reserved for senior managers and can sometimes be as long as nine months or a year at the most senior levels.
