A notice period is a pre-agreed amount of time where you continue to work after handing in your resignation. Standard notice periods are at least a week if you have worked for over a month, but they can be up to three months. Notice periods allow the business to find a replacement and possibly conduct a handover.
When you start a new job, the contract will say how much notice you need to give. Your employee notice period will begin from the day after you resign. While working your notice period, you should receive your normal pay and benefits.
To avoid confusion, it is a good idea to specify your last day of work after your notice period in your resignation letter/email.
Your employer cannot force you to leave before your notice period is up, as this is considered firing an employee. However, there are alternatives to working a notice period. An employee can also work longer than their notice period if they choose.
If you request it, your employer may agree to reduce your notice period. In this case, you will receive payment in lieu of notice. Alternatively, if you have outstanding annual leave, you may be able to take this during your notice period.
Employers may require you to take garden leave. This means your employer pays you as normal during your notice period, but you cannot work in the office. You may be required to work from home or not work at all. Employers may make this decision if you work with sensitive business information that you could give to competitors when you leave your job.
Lastly, notice periods only apply to those legally recognised as employees. Workers who are still on probation or working on a zero-hour or fixed-term contract do not need to serve notice.
At ACS Staffing Solutions, we can help you find a new job that’s right for you. Search for available jobs on our jobs board or get in touch at info@acsstaffingsolutions.co.uk.