How much notice am I legally required to give?

[jaide]

Hi, hope someone can help as I've got rather confused as to how much notice I need to give.
I've worked for the company for 15yrs, get paid monthly and work approx 20hrs per week. Some websites state I would need to give 1 week for every year i've worked others only 1 week. I'm happy to give a month and that would be acceptable for my new employers.
On top of all this I will be so sad to leave my fab colleagues and my employers as it is a very small company and 15)rs of my life has been spent there!!
However I'm ready for a change and a good opportunity has arisen.
Many thanks for your help

I think you have to give a month's notice, and that the firm is bound by the 1-week-per-year thing if they wished to give you notice.

But somebody cleverer than me should be along soon...

Depends what your contract says. It's usually four weeks.

Do you have a contract? It should say there. Four weeks is fairly standard though. In my job it was one week whilst on six-month probation, then four weeks until four years' service, then one additional week for every year worked thereafter until 12 weeks is reached.

The one week per year is for the employer to give to you.

Your position should be regulated by your contract. If you don't have a contract (which is their problem, not yours) I would aim to give the usual amount of notice people at your company tend to give and failing that, a month. A week seems very short for someone who has been there for such a long time for them to find cover etc.

Check your contract, my H always has very long notice periods stipulated (9 months on current one!) but 1 month is usual, 3 months is not unheard of.

If you have nothing to say otherwise, it is a week.

For those who suggest a month, i say if they haven't bothered giving you a contract which states they need a month, then dont give them a month. if they have and you have just lost the contract then a month onviously. But never give them longer than they have asked for and if they havent written it into a contract, then the legal minimum it is.

www.gov.uk/handing-in-your-notice-resigning-leaving-job

Your legal minimum is either a week or whatever your contract says if that is more.

If it does turn out to be a week, you could either just give that, or if you are leaving amicably, your employers have generally treated you well, you'd like to maintain good relations with them and it won't affect you or your new employer adversely, it would be considerate to give them a month.

Thanks for the replies. I really want to leave on good terms so an offer of a month or even 6 weeks should work out for all concerned. Remember signing a contract but I also remember not getting a copy, the copy I signed employer kept.
Thanks again for the advice and links