A question re. the timing of giving notice in.
I've been offered a job, I have the offer in writing and have returned the contract, all good.
The offer is subject to some basic vetting (financial history, references, usual stuff), which should be done by early next week. There's nothing there that will trip me up, I've messaged my referees and they're all good, my credit score is fine, I don't see any issues at all there.
Now normally, irrelevant of that, I'd not give notice in until the checks were back just to be safe.
However, mid this week I have my 6 month review which will put my notice up from 1 week to 3 months. I see no reason why I won't get through this, I've done a competent enough job in my time there. I've tried putting the review off for a few days but my boss is adamant is needs doing this week and, in the current climate, I can't book double book myself with meetings as no-one is doing anything face-to-face at the moment.
This leaves me with a dilemma.
Do I give notice in the review, before the checks come back and do what is likely the more professional move? Plus it means I can start the new job sooner.
Or do I basically lead my boss on that I'll be there long term, then give notice next week, hoping he'll let me go on 1 weeks and not the contracted 3 months? Not professional and it's doesn't sit overly well with me.
I moving industry so it's unlikely I'll cross paths with my current boss again, though I've always prided myself on not being a dick at work. My new boss is saying that the vetting is nothing at all and no-one fails it.
Help!
Throw a sickie for a week just to delay things a bit?
Interesting dilemma - presumably to move from 1 week to 3 month notification is a contractual change that you need to agree to? If so any idea if you need to agree to it during the review or at some point after? We have to accept ours via an HR app, if your place is the same I would just delay doing that for a few days until you had confirmation all your checks had passed.
Throw a sickie for a week just to delay things a bit?
Under normal circumstances this would be an option. However, the review is over Zoom and so as long as I can talk, it'll be expected to take place.
There’s nothing much they can do if you don’t walk with a month’s notice but you could just give them a polite heads up you’ve been offered a job elsewhere now and will be submitting your notice.
The only way out of this is to make your boss 'disappear'...
You can hire a professional but much cheaper to do it yourself.
Watch some episodes of Dexter to get you started.
Be honest. It works (sometimes)
Bin off the zoom meeting.
Instead, march in to the boss's office and teabag him to show your dominance.
interesting dilemma, I'd try to find a way of postponing the review until you are 100% on the new job. You never know, it would be a horrible situation to be in, if you'd handed your notice in, and the new job fell through (this happened to a colleague, although she has actually started at the new company to find the hiring manager had left in a restructure, and after two weeks was told she wasn't required...luckily her old job hadn't been filled and she returned, tail between legs)
Do you need to sign anything to extend your notice (new contract?) what benefit are you getting from the increased notice period, pay increase?
Under normal circumstances this would be an option. However, the review is over Zoom and so as long as I can talk, it’ll be expected to take place.
Be a shame if your WiFi router exploded minutes before the zoom call
Interesting dilemma – presumably to move from 1 week to 3 month notification is a contractual change that you need to agree to?
It's written in the current contract. In effect i says "1 week notice for first 6 months, 3 months on successful passing of probationary review". I get a letter e-mailed to me after the review saying "well done, you've passed, notice is now 3 months".
The notice, whilst a factor, is not the main reason for the hesitation, it's more the fact that I think it looks pretty poor to go through the review being positive and talking long term plans to them give notice in 5 days later.
I've given more than the minimum notice before.
The one week should be the minimum notice period in your contract. Just offer them the period that works for you both.
However, the review is over Zoom and so as long as I can talk, it’ll be expected to take place.
It's still an option. If you're off sick, you're off sick, end of story.
I'd do the review but tell him inthe review "I'm about to hand my notice in as I've accepted a job elsewhere", and try to negotiate. Increaed notice period does depend on your passing the probationary period and you won't pass if you are leaving...
Do something that would cause your probation period to be extended :0)
What people forget is that these reviews are a two sided affair. They can be as much for you to review the company as they are for the company to review you.
Have the review, tell them that it's not really working for you and you're in the process of getting something else and that you're likely to give them a weeks notice next week but you'll be as flexible as you can be to allow them to find your replacement.
Just be honest.
You've been there barely six months. Just email your boss and ask if it's possible for the meeting to be moved back a week.
I had a similar situation a few years ago - I was straight up with my boss in the meeting that I would be handing my notice in within a few days and asked for my probation to be extended.
In the time it took them to go away and find out if my probation could be extended I had all the confirmations I needed, so when they came back with a "no" I was ready to hand my notice in anyway, and left with only the 1 weeks notice.
It helped that since about week 3 I had been working with my boss to improve the role - it just wasn't what they had sold me, so there was no bad feelings or surprise either way
What sort of job are you applying for where they need to know your financial history?
The "I'm going to be giving notice in a week" option is a non-starter. If they know that they'll just not put me through probation and finish me there and then. It's a sales role, so if they get a sniff you're leaving, particularly this early into a role, then you'll be out.
As I say, the notice is not the big thing, it's more the risk of giving notice in before the vetting is back against the lack of professionalism of giving it in a week after a review.
The job is in financial services, standard practice to look at financial history in that environment.
I'd be honest; tell him that you've enjoyed your time here but you've been offered something different and you are planning on taking it; but that you can be flexible with notice depending on when they want you to start. If he's an arse about it then you definitely made the right decision. If he's not then it'll likely be a pleasant 'thanks for your contribution; hope it works out well for you'
I've only resigned once where my boss was an arse about it and I already couldn't wait to get out the door. He *actually* did the "guess we won't be needing these plans for your career" thing and took a piece of paper out of his desk and ripped it up and threw it in the bin in front of me.
*edit - just noticed it's for a job in finance. In my experience if there was something you'd need to be worried about; you already know about it unless you are an ostrich and have financial problems you are ignoring 😀 Enjoy an extra week off between jobs and get out on your bike.
Are you completely sure you'll pass your review OP?
I mean you've been there less than six months and clearly been looking about for a new job already... Is there a chance your lack of commitment might have been picked up on? 😉
How well do you get along with your current boss?
Could he/she be persuaded to sit on both your review and the news that you're off for a couple of weeks?
I managed to give my notice from my last job in a meeting that had been called to blow smoke up my arse and tell me all about the exciting "development opportunities" I was about to be offered (inducted into middle-management hell), I cut them off early and explained the situation. That sort of derailed things a bit and they spent an hour and a half trying to persuade me I didn't want a more interesting job, where I'd be paid more money and based closer to home...
The notice period was academic TBH, I could have buggered off a fortnight early and they'd not have complained, there was no real effort made at "succession" or hand over.
Given CV19 and current variable WFH/office setups, having you off the payroll sooner rather than later could be pushed as mutually beneficial, It sort of depend on how you frame things...
Normally when someone on a long notice period (with more than 6 months in post) says they're off, the follow up questions seem to be Where are you going? (basically is it a competitor?) and when are you starting? (because your boss won't know/remember your actual notice period). If you're changing industry they might well be more understanding...
But yeah it does put you in an uncomfortable position if you have to tell your current employer before a start date is confirmed...
Surely probationary works both ways , I assume you weren’t happy since you looked for and secured alternative employment?
Personally I would be honest and say look I have found another job
I’ve only resigned once where my boss was an arse about it and I already couldn’t wait to get out the door. He *actually* did the “guess we won’t be needing these plans for your career” thing and took a piece of paper out of his desk and ripped it up and threw it in the bin in front of me.
I think I would have burst out laughing. How pathetic!
I mean you’ve been there less than six months and clearly been looking about for a new job already… Is there a chance your lack of commitment might have been picked up on? 😉
Well, the joys of working from home mean one can have Zoom interviews and still work hard.
There's been no lack of commitment, I've worked bloody hard for 6 months.
How well do you get along with your current boss?
Could he/she be persuaded to sit on both your review and the news that you’re off for a couple of weeks?
My boss own the company, small business, 8 employees.
When is your 6 month anniversary - on the day of the review or before after?
Can you speak to your (potential) new employer (or agency) and explain the situation to see if they can expedite the checks? If they have already made an offer I am sure they would appreciate the heads-up as to potential start date differences..
mid this week I have my 6 month review which will put my notice up from 1 week to 3 months.
Is that a change to your contract or was it in the contract you signed originally? If its a change just refuse it
I think I would have burst out laughing. How pathetic!
Reach into the bin and say, "Great! Stall three is out of bog roll"
However, mid this week I have my 6 month review which will put my notice up from 1 week to 3 months. I see no reason why I won’t get through this
However, mid this week I have my 6 month review which will put my notice up from 1 week to 3 months. I see no reason why I won’t get through this
Just grit your teeth and cling on to the inspirational words of Daniel Bedingfield.
Is that a change to your contract or was it in the contract you signed originally? If its a change just refuse it
In the original contract.
Still not sure what to do.
I'm pretty sure I won't fail the checks, but am still hesitant to do anything until all is confirmed.
Hmm.
It’s a sales role, so if they get a sniff you’re leaving, particularly this early into a role, then you’ll be out
This will still be true next week presumably?
In that environment don't even give them a sniff you are leaving until you are 100% sure.
I think this has been discussed here before - but these three month notice periods are not particularly enforceable. I would normally always say be honest but in this case you have a lot to lose if they bin you for even thinking about leaving while they still can before you have passed probation.
You are not 100% sure you are leaving you just think you might be - anything could happen - I would not say a word about it until you have the signed contract and formal start date. And delay the meeting.
Get your vetting back and then naked upside down zoom call, instant dismissal. Happy days
When would new job want you to start?
It is certainly not in any way unprofessional to go through the process and hand in notice as soon as you have confirmation of the new job. If this means you end up with a delay, so be it, but if you are fair and honest with them I bet they will let you go sooner than 3m anyway.
I think this has been discussed here before – but these three month notice periods are not particularly enforceable.
's what I was thinking. Unfair contract terms aren't binding, otherwise they could put everyone on a notice period of ten years. Notice periods are supposed to reflect the length of time it'd take to replace you (recruiting and training), there's no way that they could argue that they could replace you in a week today but next week it'd take three months.
As others have said, I'd just be honest and say that you'd got a new job offer. Hell, if nothing else it gives them a chance to make a counter-offer. You won't be agreeing to the three months' notice period but as a gesture of goodwill you'll offer them two / three / four weeks.
You say they'll bin you once they a sniff that you're looking to leave, but after the meeting, you're on 3 month's notice.
Get your vetting back and then naked upside down zoom call, instant dismissal. Happy days
Either that or a date 😀
You say they’ll bin you once they a sniff that you’re looking to leave, but after the meeting, you’re on 3 month’s notice.
Correct. If they think I have a new role whilst in probation they'll bin me and not put me through probation.
But when/if I get through the meeting then I'll go to 3 months, though I suspect they won't hold me to all of it.
I don't want to be left without a roll if the vetting fails, unlikely as that is.
I think I'm going to go through with the probation meeting, but perhaps plant a few very vague seeds. I'll worry about the notice when I need to.
If you're really worried you can't be truthful, I'd just do everything humanly possible to delay the review meeting.
Maybe a close relative (or your dog) dies the night before? 😉
In every job I've worked I've only ever been signed off probation when both my manager and I have agreed I'm ready. Do you have the option of asking your probation to be extended by a month as you're unsure about one particular part of your role? I did it in my previous role as my direct line manager was about to change to someone I didn't yet know and I wanted to find out if I could get on with them professionally first. They had no issues with that whatsoever and thankfully the new manager was fine so I signed the probation papers a week later.
zoom call over a wi=fi network???
start on the outer limits of range and get an accomplice to wave a baking tray around the ariel periodically
A few drop outs and snow effect will fustrate him enough to end the zoom call giving you some time. . . simples
I think I’m going to go through with the probation meeting, but perhaps plant a few very vague seeds.
What's the point in planting seeds? Your concerns are:
1) You might not get the new job and so want to keep this job. The seeds will make that harder.
2) You get the new job and have a 3 month notice period. The seeds won't help.
Either don't say anything about leaving until you've got the new job confirmed; or hand in your notice before the new notice period comes into force. Some suggestions above on getting the new job confirmed sooner and delaying the end of probation look worth pursuing.
They can’t hold you on the 3 months.
As for expecting you to work when absent due to sickness, nope they can’t expect you. They can do welfare checks contacting to see how things are, keeping in contact is enforceable but working isn’t.
OP,
Just remember to say "it's not you, it's me ..."
Actually just tell them honestly and everyone can move on.
8 employees - I’d be honest with the owner. Thank them for the opportunity. Explain the circumstances and tell him you’ll help with finding your replacement.
If they are decent, they’ll understand. If they aren’t decent, you’ll be leaving anyway one way or another!
