Handing in a weeks notice at work...

[BJBMK2]

...when the contract says you have to hand in 4 weeks.

But I just can't handle 4 weeks, too much is going on. I'm moving out of Manchester, I just won't be around for those 4 weeks. Not to mention that there's just too much stress it's all causing me, the thought of doing another month...

Now I have been told that I don't necessarily have to work those 4 weeks, through various people with there ear to the top. But now I'm being paranoid. Am I gonna get sued soon?

[Shit Good Nose]

Unless your job is majorly critical/sensitive/top secret/life depending or whatever, the most that is likely to happen is that you won't get your full pay.  You can always bullshit your way if you're that worried and say something like a major family matter which you don't want to discuss.  You could just phone in sick for the remaining three weeks, but I've known that sort of thing to be investigated in the past.  Largely depends on your employers.

[Uncle TechTip]

Talk to them if you really think it's a problem. They might let you go. Do you have to complete a lot of handover work with somebody?

Just make out that you're likely to hack into all the systems and cause all sorts of mess. Strut around with a USB hard drive under your arm.

[BJBMK2]

Talk to them if you really think it's a problem. They might let you go. Do you have to complete a lot of handover work with somebody?

Just make out that you're likely to hack into all the systems and cause all sorts of mess. Strut around with a USB hard drive under your arm.

Nothing in regards to handover work, it's a call centre (well, NOW it's a call centre, it used to be mainly live chat until recently, the primary reason I'm leaving). So it's not like there's loads I need to do, cos it's all on a day to day basis. And the system let me put next Friday as the leaving date, when I did the online resignation thing. It's still pending my managers approval though, who's not back in till Tuesday.

I mean, she's nice enough, and I confided in her ages ago that there's no way my anxiety will let me go on the phones all day. But I'm just worried they'll turn around next week, point at my contract, and that'll be the end of it.

[doppelkorn]

Someone at my work just didn't turn up for a week. Then the next week he rang up and said he wasn't coming back. People in the company are too busy/not arsed to bother following up stunts like that.

Just talk to them and say you want to leave in a week. They might be fine with it.

[mojo filters]

If this was a big company with standard contracts and HR practices, probably the best thing to do is hand in the required notice in line with expectations - then go on the sick for the last three weeks.

That way you are assured the worst thing that can go on their standardised reference is those 3 weeks sick, as opposed to a potential pending disciplinary proceeding at time of leaving. Obviously some companies might be more accommodating,  but some just don't have that kind of flexibility.

Bit late for this now, if you tipped your hand already to colleagues...

[Butchers Blind]

A guy where I work was off sick for two weeks then sent a text to the manager saying he was leaving and won't be coming back.  Turned out he left the country with his new girlfriend.

[bgmnts]

4 weeks notice? Jesus christ.

Half the lads on the factory floor or even the office here just decide not to come in on a certain day and that's it.

I would hate how awkward that month would be.

[Pijlstaart]

Had a person quit this afternoon, said he quit and big bosso let him leave 5 minutes after. Bumbollio or something, Italian, long nose. Free beer and pizza in the lobby about 1 hour after he left, unrelated, so he fucked that up royally. I had lots of beer and pizza, and a cookie with raisins in it, one of my five-a-day. At-work brownies tomorrow, so he really fucked up. Get them out the door sharpish, or they'll sow discontent amongst the masses.

[surreal]

Nothing in regards to handover work, it's a call centre

If it's something like that it's unlikely they'd want a pissed off employee talking to customers, so as long as you're fair with them, ask if you can just give a week but be prepared for a bit more to give a bit of leeway and I'm sure you'll be fine.  No point burning bridges unnecessarily.

[mothman]

My pisspoor excuse for a career seems to feature always surfing just under the level at which I'd have to give three months' notice when I leave.

[Cuellar]

I recently handed in my 3 MONTHS notice, only worked 2 and a half through a combination of bargaining and getting signed off by doctor. The latter is an option if its causing you distress. I fucking hated my job at the time and everyone there was a cunt so that helped me persuade Doc.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

My business make you work between 8-12 weeks notice (depending on length  of employment) and will give you a shit reference if you try and leave sooner. An alarmingly high % of perfectly dutiful, hard-working staff have had to say fuck you, I'm off because they won't be reasonable.

[drummersaredeaf]

Yeah, there's cock all they can do other than withhold a reference really. Even if they want you to do 4 weeks, if you fail to turn in after one week, you will effectively just have your employment terminated for not showing up to work. Maybe a series of letters asking you to call up to explain your failure to turn up, maybe just a p45. If your next move is already in the bag I wouldn't worry about it.

[Ferris]

I'm amazed any business tries to get 4+ weeks notice out of people. Once someone has decided they want to leave, what value do you get out of them a month later? And if the answer is "not much", why are you paying them?

Tell them you only want to give a week due to personal family reasons that you'd rather not go into. If you want to move out of the city, that's sort of true and no manager in the land would want to probe into that for the sake of making you work an extra 3 weeks. The potential fallout isn't worth it.

[Ham Bap]

Once walked out of a call centre job to go to a far better job.
Think it was a weeks notice I had to give so they withheld that.
The money was shite anyway and I've never looked back.

The most they can do is withhold money from you, doubt they'd sue (famous last words)

[drummersaredeaf]

If they withheld wages for time you've worked you can take them to tribunal anyway. Send yourself an email on your last day or something as evidence you were on the site.

[earl_sleek]

I did a bit of research on this earlier in the year when I was looking to leave my current employer - my contract says I should give 3 months notice, but there's no way I'm doing that.

My understanding is that an employer cannot refuse to accept a resignation, regardless of whether it's of the contractually specified duration or not. This means they cannot attempt to take any disciplinary action against you for not turning up to work past the date you have given them, as after that point you are no longer an employee and have no obligation to them.

As mentioned by others, the only recourses they have are to withold a reference, or to sue you for breach of contract, but there's no point in suing the vast majority of people, it's a massive waste of time and money. And in my industry you normally don't even arrange a start date with a new employer until they've verified your references and DBS.

Actually did resign in March, giving a month, and they never mentioned it. Perhaps they would have, had I not changed my mind (got a weird vibe from the new employer and went with my gut), but we'll see as I've found another postition, and will be giving a month's notice again. But if they are difficult about it, I'll point out there's precedent - my own resignation earlier in the year, a colleague giving a month a couple of months ago, and my previous line manager resigning with immediate effect at the beginning of the year.