When Should I Resign and How Do UK Notice Periods Work When I Get an Offer?

Resign only after you have a signed written contract from the new employer, not a verbal offer or an email saying one is coming. Statutory minimum notice from you to your employer is 1 week after one month's service, but your contract almost always sets a longer period: 1 month is typical for most roles, 3 months for senior and professional roles, and up to 6 months in some financial services and executive positions.

Key facts

The specifics, before the explanation.

Statutory minimum notice from employee to employer is 1 week once you have worked there for a month or more; contracts usually set longer
Common contractual notice periods: 1 month for most staff, 3 months for managers and professionals, 6 months for some senior finance and executive roles
An offer is not binding until both sides have accepted; conditional offers can be withdrawn if references or checks fail
Garden leave keeps you employed and paid during notice but away from work; you cannot start the new job until it ends
Employers can agree to shorten notice, and often do if they have a replacement or no handover need; it must be agreed, not assumed

What this actually means

The order of events matters. Get the written contract, read the conditions (references, right to work, DBS, probation, start date), satisfy anything you can in advance, and only then resign. Offers do fall through in 2026 when hiring freezes land mid-process, and resigning on a verbal offer leaves you with nothing if that happens.

Resign in writing, state your last working day according to your contractual notice, and keep it short. You do not owe a reason. If your new employer wants you sooner than your notice allows, ask your current employer to agree an earlier release rather than simply leaving. Walking out early is a breach of contract; in practice employers rarely sue, but they can withhold discretionary bonuses and may give a poor reference.

Check your contract for garden leave and post-termination restrictions before you negotiate a start date. A three-month garden leave clause means your new employer will be waiting three months regardless of how friendly your exit is. Tell them the truth about your notice at offer stage; candidates who promise a start date they cannot honour lose trust before day one.

If asked in an interview how soon you could start, give your real contractual notice and add that you would ask to negotiate an earlier release. Say it out loud a few times beforehand so it sounds matter-of-fact, because employers read hesitation on this question as a sign the move is not certain.

What to actually do

Rules and figures move. Confirm anything time-sensitive with the official regulator before you rely on it.

Read your current contract tonight and note your notice period, garden leave clause and any restrictive covenants
Do not resign until the new contract is signed by both sides and the conditions you can control are satisfied
Ask your new employer in writing to confirm the start date in the contract rather than in an email thread
Rehearse the "when could you start" answer out loud so you state your notice period without hedging
Request an earlier release politely and in writing; offer a handover plan to make it easy to say yes

Frequently asked questions

Can my employer refuse to let me work my notice?

They can place you on garden leave if your contract allows it, or pay in lieu of notice if there is a PILON clause. Either way you are paid for the notice period.

Can a new employer withdraw an offer after I have resigned?

Yes, if the offer was conditional and a condition fails, or in rare cases even after acceptance, though that can be a breach of contract. This is why you resign only after the contract is signed.

Do I have to give notice during probation?

Usually yes, but probation contracts often specify a shorter notice period, commonly 1 week. Check your contract.

Sources

Referenced for this guide:

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