Quitting your job

Halcyon · 14-11-2006, 22:04

Hi everyone,

As there is not much work in my field at the moment, I have been doing some work at a shop to earn money as obviously I need an income.

Now, I am thinking of changing jobs completly and want to quit some time soon as I am applying for other jobs.

Now, I have been told by my boss that as it is a shop we are required to work over the Christmas holidays.
I want to leave in the week before Christmas.
We are required to give one weeks notice.

How would you reccomend I do it ?

I know they won't be too pleased of someone leaving just before it get's really busy and I hope they don't make my life hell during my last week.

If it says I have to give one week's notice in my contract, do I have to abide by it ?
I am guessing that if I do not and I just decided to quit they could decide to not pay me maybe.
Therfore if I give 1 weeks notice then they HAVE to pay me I presume.

I feel bad leaving once they have taught me many things but although the job is varied, it is making me get back really late, have no family time, the pay is rubbish, and it is not exactly what I have wanted to do for my whole life.

Anyone reccomend a best way to approach it ?

Many thanks,

halcyon.

Wicked_and_Crazy · 14-11-2006, 22:08

the notice you have to give then and the notice they have to give you might be different

I'd wait until the last week, hand the written notice in and see what happens, you can always take a sickie if things get bad

superbiatch · 14-11-2006, 22:11

I'd be wary of giving them more than 1 weeks' notice as a friend of mine did this recently. He told his employers he was giving them 4 weeks out of goodwill (only 1 week was required) so they had enough time to replace him, then retaliated by giving him 1 weeks' notice and he was out of work for almost a month with no wages due to it.

If you are worried about them giving you a bad reference because of you only giving them 1 weeks' notice, then don't. They are not legally allowed to give you a bad reference (especially if it is unjust!) as that would leave them liable to be sued. They can however choose to not give you a reference and to a potential employer that may look bad.

Do you know anyone else who may be looking for work? Anyone you can recommend to resume your job as soon as you finish, maybe win you a few brownie points

Good luck though, but they'd be dicing if they tried anything derogatory with a reference.

Halcyon · 14-11-2006, 22:14

Thankyou.

I think I will wait until I get paid before I actually announce my leaving letter.
Then atleast I will have a bit of money to leave on.
It's just the thought of telling them that is getting to me.

Thanks for the advice.

greencreeper · 14-11-2006, 22:27

I've always thought I'd book my holidays and post the letter - the notice period being my holidays

14-11-2006, 22:42

I always found the best way to quit your job was to call the director a ****.

Worked for me anyway, and they walked me to my car

AndrewJ · 14-11-2006, 22:55

Walk in wearing a KKK outfit with a Vote BNP badge, while smoking a spliff and sported a Bob Marley hair style when you remove your hat

Then sit down and proceede to let of a volumes fart before ordering your boss to fetch your bong from the car.

Bengie · 15-11-2006, 00:33

Don't feel any compassion for them, when / if work gets slack, they wont feel any compassion for you when they give you notice.

A small handwritten letter to the effect - "Dear Sir, It is with regret that I give you one weeks notice of termination of my employment with you starting (7 days before you will leave), with my final day (the last day you will work). Yours faithfully.....
There is no need for anything else and they are not entitled to a reason why.

If they do not require you to work your final (notice) week, they must still pay you for that week. Also if you have acrude any holiday during your time there, they must also pay you for that.

Quote:

I know they won't be too pleased of someone leaving just before it get's really busy and I hope they don't make my life hell during my last week

If they try this or give you duties other than what it says in your employment contract (you did get one didn't you, the law says you must), you may leave and claim constructive dismissal.

Do what you want to do, it's your life.

Halcyon · 15-11-2006, 09:45

Thankyou. That is some good advice.

**Hugh** · 15-11-2006, 11:27

A quick question - why do you have to quit the current job to look for jobs?

Wouldn't you be better getting a new job first, then quitting?

Mr_love_monkey · 15-11-2006, 11:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by superbiatch

If you are worried about them giving you a bad reference because of you only giving them 1 weeks' notice, then don't. They are not legally allowed to give you a bad reference (especially if it is unjust!) as that would leave them liable to be sued. They can however choose to not give you a reference and to a potential employer that may look bad.

Only thing I would add there is that they can't give you a bad written reference - should someone call them up and ask them, they can say whatever they like...

Halcyon · 15-11-2006, 11:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by foreverwar

A quick question - why do you have to quit the current job to look for jobs?

Wouldn't you be better getting a new job first, then quitting?

Yeah I am looking for a new job. I am not going to quit until I do find something else.
It's just I want to get away for Christmas as I have some family things to sort out.
I hope to have a new job for the new year....the search continues.

superbiatch · 15-11-2006, 13:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_love_monkey

Only thing I would add there is that they can't give you a bad written reference - should someone call them up and ask them, they can say whatever they like...

Agreed, so in this instance i'd only give an address and no phone/fax number. Because a prospective employer will never tell you what was said in a negtive reference as this would then draw them in.

TheDaddy · 15-11-2006, 14:25

Make sure you continue working to a high standard, to many people get complacent and just go through the motions once they have handed in their notice, it came as a great shock to a couple of chaps where I work when they were asked to leave a week into their months notice because they were slacking.

Good luck with it all

Halcyon · 15-11-2006, 22:51

Thanks. I'll see how it goes. Hopefully my boss will be understanding.