Two month notice period

[Julian74]

My colleague has recently submitted his required "two month" notice period as set out in our contract of employment as he has a new job.

He has a start date of Mon 18 Aug with his new job but his current employer says that his two month notice period is actually two calender months and they won't allow him to leave until Fri 22 Aug. Our contract of employment only has the words "two months" and not "two calender months".......

if he goes by just two months then he is able to start on mon 18 Aug but if it's two calender months then the company won't release him until Fri 22...

...does anyone know if the company can suddenly claim that the notice period is two calender months when the wording does not say that in his contract??

the company said they will not budge on this despite the fact that my colleague has asked them politely to reduce it so that he can start his new job on aug 18......HELP!!

[buildersmate]

Factor: my use of the dates in my example were hypothetical to demonstrate what 2 months means; the author didn't actually say on what date his friend resigned. To leave the existing post on Friday 15th August, the friend must submit his resignation letter on or before 15th June. This date was a Sunday, so unless he could do this because his company works that day, the latest effective date was Friday 13th. Now there's an omen.

Julian, legally the 2 companies are separate entities so the requirement to give notice IS valid.

[factor-fiction]

Hi Buildersmate:
I had assumed you had seen Julian74's earlier posting with details of the dates as follows:

"...in simple terms he resigned on 23 June 08......

if two months notice is required then should that mean:

8 weeks from 23 June (two months)

or

being released on 23 Aug? (two calender months) "

[factor-fiction]

.... but before he pulls a sickie or walks out early he needs to remmber he may wanta reference from them one day.
Surely the parent company has some influence over teh subsidiary. If he explains the dilemma to the new employer then if they need him to start on the earlier date surely they as the parent company will twist a few arms and make sure it happens