KEY questions answered by the experts.

Q: SHOULD the period of notice between employer and employee be the same? I have to give one month’s notice to terminate my contract whereas my company has to give one week. This seems unfair.

A: THERE is no requirement for notice given on each side to be equal.

The Employment Rights Act 1996 sets out the required statutory notice which must be given. Employers must give employees one week’s notice for each year of completed service.

Unless there is a specific clause in the contract stating otherwise, employees only ever have to give one week’s notice.

Firms also can have difficulty in obtaining any redress when staff do not work their contractual notice period.

ACAS ADVISER