Notice period calculator: your last day at work
Your notice runs from the day you give it for the length in your employment agreement. Four weeks' notice given on a Monday runs to the Sunday four weeks later, so in a Monday to Friday job your last working day is the Friday before. With no notice clause, reasonable notice applies, generally 2 to 4 weeks.
Worked out for the example. Change the boxes to make it yours.
| Notice given | Monday 12 October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Notice in the agreement | 4 weeks |
| Notice period starts | Monday 12 October 2026 |
| Notice period ends | Sunday 8 November 2026 |
| Last working day (Monday to Friday) | Friday 6 November 2026 |
| National public holidays in the notice | 1 |
| Labour Day | 26 Oct 2026 |
| Pay for the notice period, before tax | $6,000.00 |
- A public holiday in your notice period is a paid day off if it would otherwise be a working day for you. Regional anniversary days are not counted here.
- Counted with the day notice is given as the first day, as in Employment New Zealand's examples. If your agreement says notice runs from the next day, change the count.
- Your employer can pay you for the notice instead of having you work it only if you agree or your agreement allows it, and the notice is paid in full either way.
Your Career, on the Career and Timesheets plan. Your account puts the notice period, in weeks, on your job in Your Career, after asking, and you can change it there.
How the last day is worked out
The notice period is the time between the day notice is given and the last day of employment. The calculator counts the length in your employment agreement from the day notice is given, as Employment New Zealand's own examples do: 4 weeks' notice given on Monday 10 November ends with a last day on Friday 5 December for someone who works Monday to Friday. If your agreement says notice runs from the next day, switch the count. Weeks are 7 calendar days, months end the day before the same date in the later month, or on the last day of that month when it has no such date (the way the Legislation Act 2019 counts months), and working days skip weekends and national public holidays.
When there is no notice clause
If your employment agreement does not set a notice period, reasonable notice applies. There is no set length: Employment New Zealand says 2 to 4 weeks is generally seen as reasonable, depending on the job, how long you have been there, how hard the role is to fill and what is usual in the industry. Both sides are expected to talk it through in good faith. A shorter or longer notice period can also be agreed, and is best put in writing. Our guide to how to resign in New Zealand covers the conversation and the letter.
Leave, public holidays and pay in the notice period
Work carries on as normal during notice unless something else is agreed. Your employer can pay you for the notice instead of having you work it only if you agree or your agreement allows it, and the full notice is still paid. Our article on garden leave and pay in lieu of notice explains the difference. A public holiday inside the notice period is a paid day off if it would otherwise be a working day for you. Annual leave can be taken during notice by agreement, and your employer can require you to take it if you cannot agree, with at least 14 days' notice (Holidays Act 2003, s 19).
The edge cases
Casual workers and fixed-term employees often do not need to give notice, and someone dismissed for serious misconduct gets none. Public holidays are listed for 2026 and 2027, without regional anniversary days. Whatever the notice, your final pay is due by the payday for your last pay period, and our final pay calculator works out what it must include.
Questions
How do I work out my last day of notice?
Count the notice in your employment agreement from the day you give it. Four weeks' notice given on Monday 12 October 2026 runs to Sunday 8 November, so the last working day in a Monday to Friday job is Friday 6 November.
Do I have to give 4 weeks' notice in NZ?
Only if your employment agreement says so: the agreement sets the notice. If it says nothing, reasonable notice applies, which Employment New Zealand says is generally 2 to 4 weeks.
Does the day I hand in my notice count?
In Employment New Zealand's examples it does: notice given on a Monday counts that Monday as the first day. If your agreement says notice starts the next day, count from then instead.
Can I take annual leave during my notice period?
Yes, if your employer agrees. If you cannot agree, your employer can require you to take annual leave with at least 14 days' notice (Holidays Act 2003, s 19).
What happens when I save this?
Your account puts the notice period, in weeks, on your job in Your Career, after asking. Your Career is part of the Career and Timesheets plan, which starts with a free trial.
Sources
- Employment New Zealand: notice periods.
- Employment New Zealand: final pay.
- Employment New Zealand: public holidays and anniversary dates.
- Legislation Act 2019, s 56 (calculating periods of months).
- Holidays Act 2003, s 19.
More free tools: see all the calculators.