Resignation / Notice Advice?

Living_Bate

Hi All,

I work for a bit of a rogue company with a tyrant as a Chairman. I'm making moves to leave the company.

I've got a few interviews lined up and a regular question is what is your notice period. In my contract it says 1 month. Normally I would always honour that and work the month. But I have been advised by people who have worked here far longer than I have that I may not get paid for that month. He has a history of ripping people off last minute.

I have also recently found out that this company do not offer references, only acknowledgment of dates of employment. I have been advised that the best thing to do is simply work to the end of any given month and resign with immediate affect once i've been paid.

Can anyone advise me on this? Is this a bad idea or sage advice?

I'm also concerned on how it may come across to potential employers. I'm basically saying i'm happy to walk out of my job, and I cant get a reference.

Trust me, if you met the chairman you would have no problems leaving him in the lurch. In fact thats exactly what the person before me did who's role i filled.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Comms69

Living_Bate wrote: »

Hi All,

I work for a bit of a rogue company with a tyrant as a Chairman. I'm making moves to leave the company. - In what way is it 'rogue'?

I've got a few interviews lined up and a regular question is what is your notice period. In my contract it says 1 month. Normally I would always honour that and work the month. But I have been advised by people who have worked here far longer than I have that I may not get paid for that month. He has a history of ripping people off last minute. - We do have a court system for that kind of thing.

I have also recently found out that this company do not offer references, only acknowledgment of dates of employment. I have been advised that the best thing to do is simply work to the end of any given month and resign with immediate affect once i've been paid. - by who?

Can anyone advise me on this? Is this a bad idea or sage advice? - bad idea

I'm also concerned on how it may come across to potential employers. I'm basically saying i'm happy to walk out of my job, and I cant get a reference. - you can get a reference. It's quite common to just provide dates of employment. What you can also get is a reference saying, left without working notice period, followed by a claim for any losses the company suffered as a result (yes it's rare, yes it does happen)

Trust me, if you met the chairman you would have no problems leaving him in the lurch. In fact thats exactly what the person before me did who's role i filled. - You've been happy with the arrangement for the time it's suited you though.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Depends. If he's that bad, he may take you to court just for the principle.

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

Like any situation, you have to honour your contract and take legal action if the other party doesn't. Unless you can mutually agree a shorter notice period.

If you think he won't take you to court of course, leave when you like. But then he's within his rights to say that in a reference. Other employers will assume that some of the blame, at least, lies with you.

Living_Bate

Comms69 wrote: »

In what way is it 'rogue'?

brown envelopes to be awarded jobs, blackmail, bullying in the work place....on Monday one of the Directors physically assaulted a member of staff. Ripped him off his chair from behind, threw him on the floor, stamped on him and called him 'names'.....then the Chairman 'encouraged' him not to make a formal complaint....

Comms69 wrote: »

We do have a court system for that kind of thing.

Last thing I want to do is have to take a rich chairman to court. I've got a life i'd rather be getting on with.

Comms69 wrote: »

you can get a reference. It's quite common to just provide dates of employment. What you can also get is a reference saying, left without working notice period, followed by a claim for any losses the company suffered as a result (yes it's rare, yes it does happen)

If I'm honest with the company who offer me my next job then they wont expect a reference. I doubt the chairman would try and claim losses against me. He's not the type, and other people have left in the fashion i'm considering and all he's done is call them names and swear a lot.

Comms69 wrote: »

You've been happy with the arrangement for the time it's suited you though.

Not exactly happy. Its got worse and worse over the 16 months i've been here. If I was working for a more professional company I'd make a formal complaint about bullying in the workplace. Its just that here the person i'd be complaining about is the person i'd be complaining to.

Comms69

Living_Bate wrote: »

brown envelopes to be awarded jobs, blackmail, bullying in the work place....on Monday one of the Directors physically assaulted a member of staff. Ripped him off his chair from behind, threw him on the floor, stamped on him and called him 'names'.....then the Chairman 'encouraged' him not to make a formal complaint.... - Sorry anyone who doesn't report that to the police, including you, frankly deserves everything they get.



Last thing I want to do is have to take a rich chairman to court. I've got a life i'd rather be getting on with. - Him being rich has no bearing on a small claims case.



If I'm honest with the company who offer me my next job then they wont expect a reference. I doubt the chairman would try and claim losses against me. He's not the type, and other people have left in the fashion i'm considering and all he's done is call them names and swear a lot. - That's up to you. At some point he may decide to make an example.



Not exactly happy. Its got worse and worse over the 16 months i've been here. If I was working for a more professional company I'd make a formal complaint about bullying in the workplace. Its just that here the person i'd be complaining about is the person i'd be complaining to.

The chairman can behave as he wishes, with-in the constraints of the law. What you and your colleagues can do is walk with your feet. You/they haven't.


I'm not trying to be harsh, but if I witness an assault, or what sounds like something significantly worse - aside from stepping in - I would be reporting it that day. I'm unclear why it's now Thursday and you haven't?

Living_Bate

Comms69 wrote: »

The chairman can behave as he wishes, with-in the constraints of the law. What you and your colleagues can do is walk with your feet. You/they haven't.

I am in the process of walking with my feet in case you missed that bit?

Comms69 wrote: »

Sorry anyone who doesn't report that to the police, including you, frankly deserves everything they get.

The person who was assaulted is a shy and meek individual with a speech impediment. He's also approaching retirement. He just wants to keep his head down and do his job. The person who assaulted him is nearly 70 and his wife is ill. The man who was assualted doesnt want to bring any more stress to his life because he doesnt want it on his conscience if something happens to him.

Another senior member of staff who was close to the incident and stepped in to stop it has actively encouraged him to make a formal complaint and go to the police. He wont.

Comms69

Living_Bate wrote: »

I am in the process of walking with my feet in case you missed that bit?
- Yes I understand, but like I said after an extended period of time where the behaviour was acceptable enough to stick around.


The person who was assaulted is a shy and meek individual with a speech impediment. He's also approaching retirement. He just wants to keep his head down and do his job. The person who assaulted him is nearly 70 and his wife is ill. The man who was assualted doesnt want to bring any more stress to his life because he doesnt want it on his conscience if something happens to him.

Another senior member of staff who was close to the incident and stepped in to stop it has actively encouraged him to make a formal complaint and go to the police. He wont.

He's 70 yet managed to pull the guy off his seat and stamp on him... I think he'll be fine. Sorry, not reporting it is not an option. Sick wife or not, he attacked in essence a pensioner, threw him on the floor and then stamped on him - frankly it sounds like he could've killed the guy.


So now, all of you who have witnessed it, have a choice to make. Do you report it now, or risk another colleague getting injured.


Frankly the moral compass is so skewed on this - it sounds like you all deserve eachother!

Living_Bate

Comms69 wrote: »

- Yes I understand, but like I said after an extended period of time where the behaviour was acceptable enough to stick around.

Its not in my nature to get a new job and just give up and walk out. I gave it a good go here and just before Christmas i realised its no good.

Comms69 wrote: »

So now, all of you who have witnessed it, have a choice to make. Do you report it now, or risk another colleague getting injured.

Every member of staff here is aware of what happened. If the man it happened to doesnt want to pursue it then thats up to him.

Comms69 wrote: »

Frankly the moral compass is so skewed on this - it sounds like you all deserve eachother!

I'm not quite sure how you think I 'deserve' anything. I started a job which slowly revealed itself as being crap and now I want out.

I dont think you should be trying to make any moral judgement at this point. You know nothing about me or whats going on in my personal life.

Comms69

Living_Bate wrote: »

Its not in my nature to get a new job and just give up and walk out. I gave it a good go here and just before Christmas i realised its no good.



Every member of staff here is aware of what happened. If the man it happened to doesnt want to pursue it then thats up to him.



I'm not quite sure how you think I 'deserve' anything. I started a job which slowly revealed itself as being crap and now I want out.

I dont think you should be trying to make any moral judgement at this point. You know nothing about me or whats going on in my personal life.

The you was plural, so apologies if you felt it was a personal comment.


I'm making a judgment simply on what you've posted, which I accept is not related to your question - though I do feel that has been answered.


The fact the victim doesn't want to report it, doesn't mean it isn't worth reporting. A witness is quite often the person who reports a crime.


Like I said, if he's done it once and not felt any repercussion, the next victim may not be so lucky.


It may actually help him in any case. Frankly if my family member had been attacked like this and no-one had stepped up to stop it happening again, I'd be looking at the old testament options.


On which note i'll bow out, goodluck in the new job when you get it.

getmore4less

you need to separate the new job old job.

New job
you have one months notice.
references are likely to be limited to dates only
negotiate any start date around the required notice period.

Old job
resign with the required notice.
negotiate an early release giving up notice pay.
Make sure you have taken as much holiday as possible before resigning.
walk if you fell you have too


IF and only you get released early or walk do you then negotiate with the new job to start earlier

Living_Bate

getmore4less wrote: »

Make sure you have taken as much holiday as possible before resigning.

thanks for the reply....

I know for a fact that when the receptionist resigned with immediate affect he worked out how many holidays she had been paid for and deducted them from her pay...I think she'd taken quite a few and so got paid virtually nothing..