Employment Law

[hayley2956]

Hi all

I am required in my contract of employment to give 4 weeks notice. I have recently given in my resignation and in my letter have stated my last day of employment which actually works out to be 5 weeks notice. I gave more than 4 weeks notice as a gesture of goodwill to try and help my boss out giving him more notice then required. I was told last week that the company will only keep me employed for 4 weeks after I handed my notice in. I don't start my new job for a week after my employment ends with my current company, therefore I will have a week with no pay. Surely I can't be penalised like this for trying to give more notice than required?

[dotty.]

Are you owed any holiday? Is it perhaps because they are hoping to recruit and replace you immediatly on you leaving? Maybe the 4 weeks notice takes it to the last date of your pay cycle which makes your finally salary payment more straight forward. You will probably work a month in hand too and so you need to budget for that as it could be a long month but make sure you get your P45 prompt and give it to your new employer asap

[daffy654]

You shouldn't have handed your notice in early, the company are not at at fault and you are not being penalised.

[ABerrant]

You aren't being penalised - you are required to give 4 weeks notice and your employer has accepted the required noticed. They can in no way be held accountable because you didn't do the math.

[hayley2956]

I did 'do the math' thanks, I was just trying to give them more warning!

[mccfluff]

yes they can do this 4 weeks is the notice period required, why not talk to them and explain, if they still hold you till the notice period, try contacting the new job and see if you can bring your start date forward

[bimbo123456]

Have you tried contacting the new company and explaining the situation. They may let you start earlier. I also got caught out by this..giving a month when only four weeks was expected. They had to let me go.

[ChuckFickens]

Surely the 1month on the contract is the minimum notice that can be given, giving more notice is perfectly acceptable and I would say by given an end time of an earlier date the company are offering a counter notice which can be refused, or they are effectively dismissing you before your notice is up.

[R1Geezer]

No good deed goes unpunished!

[ChuckFickens]

I'm wrong BTW, just checked with a HR manager.