Conflicting notice periods in contract

[Freddy123]

Hi there, i have two separate paragraphs in my contract of employment that conflict with one another.
1. The notice required to terminate your employment will be one weeks notice if you have been continuously employed for up to 2 years and then one weeks notice for each completed year of employment from two completed years up to a maximum of 12 weeks notice.
2. You are required to give at least four weeks notice in writing.
I have worked for this company for 2 years and 8 months, I have just handed my notice in giving 9 days notice, they state that I am in breach of my contract and that I have to stay for 4 weeks. Is this true or am I in the right as they conflict with each other and I have given the minimum?

[ULA]

They do not conflict. Your point 1 is the notice to be given by the employer to you and your point 2 is the notice you need to give your employer. They are therefore correct you need to give at least 4 weeks notice.

[Freddy123]

How do you know that the first one is for the employer to terminate the employment? There is nothing saying that it’s to terminate from them or from me, I understand from other contracts that you would recognise this and it usually says for the employer to terminate:
but on this specific contract it does not specify.

[ULA]

What they have stated at your point 1 is the statutory notice periods to be given by the employer based on length of service.

[Freddy123]

Okay I now understand that but they should have stated that not just copied and pasted it. I am just reading my contract, not reading up laws of employment, surely it should be clearly stated?

[ULA]

Yes I do agree that they could have made it clearer by stating that the notice required to be given by the employer to terminate our employment is .....

[Freddy123]

Thank you for your help

[ULA]

Pleasure, best of luck in your new job