For the candidate, not for HR

Notice period calculator: last working day, buyout, and the two emails

"When can you join?" is the question. The new company wants you in 30 days, your letter says 90. This works out your last day, what the missing days cost, and writes the three emails you now need: to your manager, to HR, and to the new employer.

Your dates and numbers

The day you send the email. Day 1 of notice is the day after.
From your appointment letter, not from memory.
Most letters mean calendar days. Tick this only if yours says working days.
Leave empty if there is no offer yet. The shortfall and the buyout need it.
Monthly CTC before deductions, from your payslip.Your monthly pay before deductions.
Only needed for the "basic only" basis.
The letter decides. If it is silent, HR usually applies the 30-day gross rule; ask them in writing.
Earned or privilege leave left. Adjusting it against notice is the company's choice.
Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Last working day
Pick a resignation date.
Shortfall vs joining date
Add the joining date the new company wants.
After leave adjustment
Days you would still owe.
Buyout amount
Enter your monthly gross.
Buyout = per-day rate × unserved days Per-day rate = monthly gross ÷ 30

The date on HR's acceptance email is the one that counts. Some companies count the resignation day itself, which moves your last day one day earlier.

How it works

1

Enter the dates

Resignation date, notice period from your letter, and the joining date the new company wants. The last working day and the shortfall appear at once.

2

Add the salary and the basis

Monthly gross and basic, then the buyout basis your letter uses. The formula is printed next to the amount so you can check it against HR's number.

3

Copy the three emails

Your dates and amounts are already inside. Replace the square brackets, send the first one today. The clock starts when the manager has it.

Two worked examples

Example, made up

90-day notice, new company wants you in 45 days

Resigns on 1 October 2026, notice 90 days, new joining date 16 November 2026. Monthly gross ₹80,000$4,000, 30-day basis, 10 days of leave left.

  • Last working day: 30 December 2026 (day 90 from 2 October).
  • Days that can be served before joining: 45. Shortfall: 45 days.
  • After 10 days of leave: 35 days owed.
  • Buyout: ₹80,000 ÷ 30 × 35 = ₹93,333$4,000 ÷ 30 × 35 = $4,667. Without leave adjustment: ₹1,20,000$6,000.

What to do: send email 2 to HR with the leave offer and the buyout number, and email 3 to the recruiter asking whether they reimburse. If neither moves, ask for a joining date of 31 December.

Example, made up

60-day notice, 12 days of leave cover it

Resigns on 5 January 2027, notice 60 days, new joining date 1 March 2027. Monthly gross ₹1,20,000$6,000, basic ₹60,000$3,000, "basic only" basis, 12 days of leave.

  • Last working day: 6 March 2027.
  • Days that can be served before joining: 54. Shortfall: 6 days.
  • After 12 days of leave: 0 days owed. Buyout: ₹0$0.

What to do: send email 2 anyway. The leave adjustment is HR's decision, so ask for it in writing. If they refuse, the buyout for 6 days on basic is ₹60,000 ÷ 30 × 6 = ₹12,000$3,000 ÷ 30 × 6 = $600.

What HR can and cannot do

The notice period is in your appointment letter

Not on the HR portal, not what a colleague served. Read the letter. If it says 90 days, that is the number until HR agrees otherwise in writing.

The buyout is only what the letter says

If the letter allows a buyout, HR can ask for the amount it describes, on the basis it describes. If the letter is silent, ask HR for the policy in writing before you agree to any figure. If the letter says notice cannot be bought out, early release is a favour, not a right.

Leave adjustment is a favour, so ask nicely and in writing

Most companies can set your leave balance against notice days. Few must. A short email with a handover plan gets a yes more often than a demand.

Relieving letter and final settlement

The relieving letter comes after the last working day, once the exit clearance is done. The final settlement (unpaid salary, leave encashment, less any buyout) follows on the company's usual timeline; ask HR what that timeline is and note it in the early-release email.

The law, in one honest line

India has the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act and each state has its own Shops and Establishments Act. They exist, they set some rules on notice, and they vary by state and by the kind of workplace. This page does not quote day counts from them; your letter and a labour lawyer do.

The Philippines, in one honest line

A 30-day written notice is the common rule under the Labor Code, and many contracts say more. Check your contract first, then your company's clearance steps for the certificate of employment and the final pay.

Do not disappear

Leaving without serving or buying out notice usually means no relieving letter. Background checks ask for it. A later joining date is cheaper than a missing letter.

Questions people ask

How is the last working day calculated?

Count the notice period from the day after you resign. With a 30-day notice and a resignation on 1 October, day 1 is 2 October and the last working day is 31 October. Most companies count calendar days, so weekends are inside the notice. Some HR teams count the resignation day itself, which moves the date one day earlier. The acceptance email from HR is the date that counts.

What is a notice period buyout and who pays it?

A buyout is the money you pay, or the company deducts from your final settlement, for the notice days you do not serve. It is only what your appointment letter says. The common bases are a 30-day month on gross salary, 26 working days on gross salary, or basic salary only. Some new employers reimburse it; many do not. Ask before you agree to a joining date.

Can leave balance be adjusted against the notice period?

Often, but it is the company's choice, not a right. If the policy allows it, each day of earned leave you have left can stand in for a day of notice, which lowers the buyout. Ask HR in writing and get the answer in writing.

Will the new company reimburse my buyout?

Some do, usually against the current employer's buyout receipt and after you join. Many product companies and startups reimburse; many services companies do not. There is no rule. Ask the recruiter plainly, and ask for it in the offer letter, not on a call.

What if my company refuses an early release?

Then you have two clean choices: serve the full notice and ask the new employer to move the joining date, or leave without a relieving letter, which many employers treat as a red flag in background checks. Do not skip notice quietly. Ask the new employer for a later date first.

Related free tools

In the live call

HR asks "what is your notice period, can you join earlier?"

ClapAssist is a Mac and Windows app. It hears the interview on your computer and shows the first sentence to say, in short lines you can read while you talk, such as the honest notice answer from this page. It stays out of screen share on every plan; only you can see it. Your notes stay on your device.

Download with 10 free minutes
Mac and Windows · No card needed for the free minutes