Can I just get up and go?

No_Name

Hi

I work in quite a responsible position, have been here for over 10 years and have at least a 3 months notice period.

For obvious reasons, I don't wish to go into too much details about the job.

Basically, what are the ramifications if one morning I just decided not to go in?

steampowered

You would be in breach of contract. If the employer is able to demonstrate that it suffered a quantifiable financial loss, such as a result of paying an agency to provide someone to cover for you temporarily, it could sue you for the difference between your salary and the cost actually incurred.

In practice it is very difficult for most companies to prove actual financial loss if an employee leaves, so that might be less of a concern.

The other factor is that the company is not required to give you a reference. They probably won't give you a good reference if you don't give notice. You may need a reference from them for your new job.

Undervalued

You would be in breach of contract and they could potentially sue you for any unavoidable losses this causes!

Such claims are rare but they do occasionally happen.

Another possibility is that they withhold unpaid salary and / or money for untaken holiday. Technically that too would be unlawful but it sometimes degenerates into a case of "you sue us and we will sue you".

Either way you would be unlikely to get a reference.

Or they may be please to see the back of you and there are no problems at all.

Who knows?

No_Name

Thanks steampower

Those two points have crossed my mind and are the main ones which have prevented me to commit!

sangie595

If you are a responsible person in a responsible position, why would you do that? Regardless of legal ramifications or references. To try to reduce notice is one thing. Even to go in and tell them you are quitting on the spot. But to simply to not turn up one day?

pinkshoes

If you just walked out, then any future employer would not look favourably on this.

A 3 month notice period may be a pain, but any DECENT company would not object to you honouring it.

If a company put pressure on you to just walk out, then I would question whether I would want to work for such company.

DCFC79

Hand your notice in, if they let you go early then a bonus if not then work your notice and you will be out of there soon enough as the time will go by.

CCFC_80

Would a company really want to sue? Bad publicity and all that. They could lose more money taking you to court then actually recovering what their loss might be

No_Name

Thanks everyone for your thoughts.

agrinnall

A question for the forum: in this situation is there anything that the company that had been left could do to prevent their employee from working elsewhere until the end of the contractual notice period?

CoolJeanSmith

if you worked for 10 years better to leave in a good way as your future work places might ask a reference from them