No contracted notice period?

manpreet Best Answer 2 years ago

I have worked with my current employer in the UK for well over a decade and I have decided I need to leave (a point which is not up for discussion in this forum).

I've looked through my contract and all written correspondence and nowhere does it mention a minimum notice period. Not once.

I am paid an annual salary monthly, so logic dictates I should give a month's notice. HOWEVER...

Everyone who leaves is told by the personnel department that they should work a month's notice. But the personnel department consists of one individual, and there is nothing in writing regarding a notice period. When I asked (without saying why) the notice period is one month, the answer was 'because it's procedure' and when I pressed further I was politely asked to leave.

Now, I've had numerous problems with the personnel department previously (see my previous question here if you're interested in one example) and I don't want to leave on a particularly hostile note.

So I guess my question is, is there a 'standard' notice period for monthly paid employees in the UK? If there isn't, and with nothing in writing, is there anything to stop me giving two weeks notice instead? Or even to the extreme, is there anything to stop me giving notice and just walking out? Not that I would do that - I might have no respect for the personnel department or the business anymore but I do respect and value my departmental colleagues.

manpreet 2 years ago

In the UK, there are two types of notice period; contractual, and statutory.

Contractual notice is that set in any contract. You've checked your contract, and there's nothing in there, so it won't apply. I assume you've checked your employment handbook also?

Statutory notice, if you decide to leave after you've worked at a company for more than a month, is one week. It doesn't change/get any longer based on how long you've worked there. If the company decides to make you redundant, they have to give notice of (or pay) one week for each year of service.

If you have any holiday this year accrued, take it off your notice period.