Notice Period Calculator Australia (NES) 2026
Work out the minimum National Employment Standards notice period from a start date and end date. The result includes the extra week for employees over 45 with at least two years’ service, a dollar estimate from weekly pay, and the matching NES redundancy weeks so you can see both entitlements together.
How NES notice is worked out
The Fair Work Act counts continuous service at the end of the day the employer gives notice. Casuals do not count toward that period. The employer must give written notice of the termination day, or pay at least the full-rate amount the employee would have earned if they had worked until that day.
This calculator treats the end date as the service date you want to test. If notice will be worked, that date is usually earlier than the last rostered day. Awards and contracts can require more weeks than the NES. They cannot require less.
NES minimum notice table
| Continuous service on the day notice is given | Minimum notice |
|---|---|
| Not more than 1 year | 1 week |
| More than 1 year but not more than 3 years | 2 weeks |
| More than 3 years but not more than 5 years | 3 weeks |
| More than 5 years | 4 weeks |
| Over 45 years old and at least 2 years’ service | Add 1 week |
Exactly 1 year is still in the first band (1 week). Exactly 3 years is still in the second band (2 weeks). The third band starts the day after the third anniversary.
Redundancy pay is a different NES entitlement
Notice does not replace redundancy pay. Where NES redundancy pay applies, the weeks come from a separate table and are paid at the base rate. Small business employers and staff with under 12 months’ service are generally outside that table. The redundancy pay calculatorleads with those weeks and shows the ATO tax-free genuine redundancy limit for the same dates.
ATO note when notice is paid as part of a genuine redundancy
If the job is abolished and the payment meets the ATO genuine redundancy tests, the tax-free limit is a published base plus a published amount for each complete year of service. For2026-27 that is $13,598plus $6,801 per complete year. For 2025-26 the published pair is $13,100 plus $6,552. Ordinary unused leave is outside that limit. This page does not calculate ETP tax.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many weeks of NES notice do I get?
Fair Work Act s 117 sets four bands from continuous service on the day notice is given: 1 week if service is not more than 1 year, 2 weeks if it is more than 1 year but not more than 3 years, 3 weeks if it is more than 3 years but not more than 5 years, and 4 weeks after that. Add one extra week if the employee is over 45 and has completed at least 2 years’ service.
When does the extra week for employees over 45 apply?
Only when both conditions are met at the end of the day notice is given: the employee is over 45, and continuous service is at least 2 years. Being over 45 with 18 months’ service does not add a week. The extra week is notice, not redundancy pay.
Is payment in lieu of notice the same as working the notice?
The employer can have the employee work the minimum period, or pay at least the amount the employee would have earned at the full rate of pay for the hours they would have worked in that period. Full rate includes loadings, allowances, overtime and other separately identified amounts. This form starts from weekly base pay; enter a full weekly rate if you are estimating payment in lieu.
Do I still get notice if there is no redundancy pay?
Often yes. Small business employers and employees with under 12 months’ service are generally outside NES redundancy pay, but the NES notice table still applies to most permanent employees. Casual employment and some other categories sit outside NES notice. The redundancy pay calculator uses the same dates and shows both figures.
Does the ATO tax-free genuine redundancy limit apply to notice?
The ATO limit (2026-27: $13,598 plus $6,801 per complete year; 2025-26: $13,100 plus $6,552) applies to a genuine redundancy payment, which can include some notice paid because the job was abolished. Ordinary unused leave is taxed separately. This page does not calculate employment-termination-payment tax.
Is this legal advice?
No. This is general information about the published NES notice table. It is not legal advice and not a Fair Work assessment. An award, enterprise agreement or contract can require a longer period. Check those documents and the Fair Work Ombudsman before you act.
Disclaimer
This page is general information about the published National Employment Standards notice table. It is not legal advice, tax advice, or a Fair Work or ATO assessment. Awards, enterprise agreements and contracts can set a longer notice period. Confirm your circumstances against official sources before you act.