Handing in notice whilst away with work

MykMallett

Hi

I'm currently on a 3 month work excursion to Abroad. Before anyone says 'well that's amazing you ungrateful heathen', firstly let me stress that there are a multitude of reasons as to why it's not the blissful work based utopia you might expect.

Long story short, I want to leave my job asap. I get back into the country in mid november and so am going to hand my notice in in mid october, effectively my final date of employment would be the day we get back into the country. My question is, could they possibly deny me my flight back during this period? What if during the final month they want to end my notice early and I am suddenly left in another hemisphere with a giant bill to get home?


Thanks

getmore4less

Never go away with work without a return flight(in case they go bust).

You need to assess the company and what they may do.

If you fear they are the sort of place that will messyou about with pay expences and flights wait till you get back.

if they have a history of being decent, r.esign but I would make it for a little(week) time after return to get into the office to finalize expences and payments

If not sure get the flight booked and paid for then resign.

Notmyrealname

If it is just the experience in Oz which is crap, don't hand in your notice until you've done a bit of work in the UK - you may find that it is totally different and you'd be shooting yourself in the foot.

MykMallett

There is a return flight already booked in my name, but it's a part of the group and they could in theory cancel it. I don't think they would be ar*eholes about it but on a legal stand point I need to know where I am because I can't afford the flight back if they do charge me.

To clarify,it's a UK company I've been with for a year and we came over to Oz a month ago for a 3 month trip to work over here. Still on the same UK wage and employed by the same company


I wanted to leave well before I was shipped over here. I intend to be 100% professional about the situation, I'm not about burning bridges - but I honestly don't think I can stand coming back into the office and the longer I delay my own business is time wasted. If I could leave right now I would, but I have to stick it out for 2 more months.

Thanks

getmore4less

whats your notice period?

use acrued holiday on return

CKhalvashi

IMO, it would be best to get back into the UK, book holiday leave, hand in your notice (preferably in that order), but that's just me.

CK

MykMallett

Notice period is 1 month. If I work that month (taking me to mid december) then the window to get my business off the ground will be extremely narrow - it's software for a joint venture and the contracts that will give it the initial boost it needs will be in the new year. It still needs completing and testing, something I'm currently having to do in my spare time over here at work. I NEED that 6 weeks to work on it full time.

Accrued holiday would only be 2.5 days in mid November.

MykMallett

From a legal point of view:

I have a ticket to get home, that they paid for. I'm out here with them on business.
If I hand in my notice so that my flight home is within that notice period and am still employed by them, do they have a legal obligation to let me keep the ticket. Bearing in mind that they flew me out here to work for them full time.

The option of quitting when I get back is either:
1) Not possible or
2) Meaning I quit without giving notice - so pretty much impossible.


Thanks

MykMallett

Strangely enough I've just found out that one of my colleagues is planning on doing exactly the same thing as me, completely independently of each other. That's a bit weird.

CKhalvashi

So, what happens if you don't get the funding for the JV?

Sorry to be blunt, but I run a large Holding Company, and know that you don't always get your own way.

CK

MykMallett

Sorry to be blunt, but career advice is not what I am after. And it's not about getting my own way, I'm asking a very direct and straightforward question about the legality of leaving an employee stranded in another country on a business trip.


The details about my JV are irrelevant to the question. Except to illustrate that leaving is important. If the JV fails, it fails, but I tried it. But it will absolutely fail if I stay at this company for longer than necessary. Check out your quote in your signature.