average notice period

TomIT

Hello everyone,
I have a question regarding average notice period duration.

I am currently employed as software engineer in an IT company and my notice period is 1 month.

I just found a new job in another company as IT technical leader .

I have a doubt: in the new contract is said my notice period will be 3 months. It is quite easy to find a job in IT, therefore I don't want such a long notice period because I am worried it will be an issue in case I will be looking for a new job later.

Does anyone know if it is normal to have such long notice period for a technical leader or an equivalent position in UK?

74jax

My OH is a Senior Technical Lead and has a 3 month notice period.

I am a PA and have 1 month notice period - rising by a week after 5 years' service.

Mrs_Soup

My husband is a Senior developer in IT and has a 6 week notice period which I haven't come across before. Three months is not uncommon once you get higher up in many jobs. I'm very lowly so mine is only a month.

getmore4less

3 month is very common.

Often these can be negotiated at the time you want to leave but not always.

Companies recruiting do expect longer notice perriods so in that much of a barrier to moving.

More critical are no compete clauses these you really should worry about.

TomIT

Thank you for the answers. There is in fact a 6 month no compete clause, but it is specific to the core business of the company, so my hope is that it won't prevent to sell the IT competencies to other companies operating in different domain.

InsideInsurance

IT BAs and IT PMs tend to have either 1 month or 3 months, have seen a few that have 6 months but they are a minority

Mistral001

The notice period generally increases with seniority. But remember it all depends what is common for people in the job position you are applying for within your industry.


If it is commonly one month or two, why are they setting it three months? Perhaps they want to try to make the position appear more senior than it really is. Perhaps there is a history within the firm of people leaving them after a few months/years and that could tell a story about the firm in itself. Maybe it is a hangover from a time when there was more turnover of staff than there is today in the IT business and they just have not changed the conditions of contract to reflect this.

rich68

In my experience a 3 month notice period stops you being able to get another job. Potential employers and recruitment people lose interest in you immediately once you tell them.

I also agree with Mistral001, it could turn out to be a horrible company to work for and they are trying to avoid having to rehire all the time.

Derwent

It can work both ways. While it can be a disadvantage if you are looking to leave, it can be an advantage if your employment is terminated by the employer.

FireWyrm

I agree with Derwent. I had a 2 month notice period which meant that although I had to give two months notice, they had to give me the same. It worked out wonderfully when I was made redundant because I got all the pay but 'garden leave' with permission to go right ahead and secure a new job immediately.

Yes, it can be a pain, but in the IT business, this sort of notice period is pretty normal. If they want you, they'll wait. There is nothing stopping you negotiating the notice period down anyway. If the worst comes to the worst and you really cant stand the job, stick your notice in and THEN start looking. In this business, it doesnt take more than a few weeks to find something else anyway. You just make very sure that you secure a new job within the 3 month window, which honestly, you ought to find a doddle.

Undervalued

FireWyrm wrote: »

I agree with Derwent. I had a 2 month notice period which meant that although I had to give two months notice, they had to give me the same.It worked out wonderfully when I was made redundant because I got all the pay but 'garden leave' with permission to go right ahead and secure a new job immediately.

It doesn't mean that at all. It may be that was what was agreed in your particular case but it is not automatic.

An employer has to give a minimum of one week's notice if you have been employed for a month or more but less than two years. After that it is one week for each full year of employment up to a maximum of twelve. A contract can agree more but it cannot be less.

In the absence of a contractual requirement an employee only ever has to give one week's notice regardless of how long he has been employed.

There is no legal requirement for contractual notice periods to be equal.