Not working notice period

starrybear

Hi there,

I'm biting the bullet and handing in my notice, leaving a job that has made me mentally unwell and has honestly changed the person I am (not for the better)

I'm on a 3 month notice period, and I highly doubt this is negotiable through mutual and amicable agreement. However, if I don't get away, I feel like I might do myself harm.

What's the best way of trying to negotiate payment in lieu of notice? I can't afford to just walk.

Any advice gratefully received

Comms69

It depends, there's absolutely no 'right' to PILON, but if you work in a sensitive area and are moving to a competitor the employer is more likely to offer this, or gardening leave.

lisyloo

For your own wellbeing go to your doctor and be honest about the way you feel and get a sick note.

Does your employer offer you sick pay as part of your contract?

starrybear

Sorry- didn't mention that I've used up my my company sick pay during a nervous breakdown earlier this year. Model employee, eh? ☹

Takeaway_Addict

starrybear wrote: »

Sorry- didn't mention that I've used up my my company sick pay during a nervous breakdown earlier this year. Model employee, eh? ☹

I doubt they'd PILON you but they'd probably be quite happy to have a short notice!

Gavin83

starrybear wrote: »

What's the best way of trying to negotiate payment in lieu of notice? I can't afford to just walk.

Well you're basically planning on asking them to pay you for 3 months of doing nothing. Why would they do this? This is a genuine question, if you've got a good reason or you can offer something in return then that's your negotiation. If you can't then you'll have a hard time.

Other options are to leave earlier via whatever method you choose but lose money or you stick it out for 3 months knowing there's an end date.

Sncjw

You would only get this if you have holidays. No reasonable employer would pay for someone not working there

TELLIT01

If you are in a situation where your GP will give you a medical certificate you can claim ESA.

Comms69

Sncjw wrote: »

You would only get this if you have holidays. No reasonable employer would pay for someone not working there

Some do (though they don't typically ask for 3 month notices!), if going to a competitor means you'll have access to sensitive information for example

pogofish

My last employer refused my request to leave without working my notice due to workplace difficulties with an utterly incompetent boss. Who was off on leave and due back the following Monday.

So I dropped a short note to HR telling them that I would have no choice but to instruct my solicitor to proceed with the legal action we had discussed as a last resort due to the total failure of the employer to resolve or even manage the issue in line with their grievance/disciplinary procedure.

Very shortly after I got the call - You can leave on Friday..!

TBagpuss

OP, unfortunately the situations where an employer would pay you rather than have you work your notice are where they don't want you to work - for instance if the position is a sensitive one, if the payment is part of a settlement agreement or (sometimes) if they are keen for your employment to officially end more quickly than it would under the normal notice period.

In your case, it doesn't sound as though there would be any benefit to them in paying you off.
In practice, this means that your options are:

- see your doctor to get signed off sick. You won't then need to go in to work, and should be able to get SSP and look at applying for benefits
- speak to your employer to see whether they will agree a shortened notice period. You would only get paid for the agreed shorter periods but would then be unemployed and so eligible to apply for benefits (I don't think you get sanctioned for having resigned if it is health related.
- consider ( with your GP) whether being signed off for a shorter period would work for you - e.g. if you were signed of for an initial period of a week or two, do you think you might be able to cope with then going back for a week or two? If so, it might be worth trying that as you would at last be paid for the periods you were in work.

Do you think that it will help you at all to know you've given in your notice and have a definite end date?
It's not ideal, but if you can't afford to not have the money coming in, would knowing that it has a fixed end point make it easier to cope?