Reduced notice period

Mulder00 · 13 January 2018 at 4:09AM

Just looking for ideas and thoughts.

I was promoted in September and made to sign a new contract with 12 weeks notice replacing my 4 weeks notice.

Hated the job - caused me lots of anxiety and unhappiness in general which I discussed with my line manager. No action was taken (advice was given) and finally had enough in December and decided that I would give myself over the Christmas break to finally decide whether I really wanted to leave. Put in my resignation and asked that my notice be reduced to 6 weeks. I have stated that this is due to wanting to take a break as the last year has negatively affected my well-being.

Where I am now is that they are still considering it, but the major sticking point is that they think the handover of my old job (the one I left in September!) will need more than the 6 weeks I gave them. They have made no real attempts to get someone else into the position and I've been helping out when there's been anything urgent. I had a 4 week notice in that role!

I have also had a formal response to the letter from my line manager, saying that they are still considering my request, but have taken issue with the 6 weeks notice period and that they want to put in mitigating actions regarding my well-being.

I responded and said that there is a specific individual that is causing significant stress and unhappiness and that the role I'm doing when having to deal with him is neither the one I got in September nor the one I had before, so I want to be removed from doing that immediately and I'm happy to facilitate the handover of everything else. Rather than remove me, I've been asked to stay in that role for another week because they don't want to place someone else in that position to have to deal with this specific individual (they've had several complaints from myself and others).

I know that I signed the contract, but I'm just trying to see if there are any other ideas out there I haven't considered?

I started getting insomnia since getting this job (oh look, it's 3am and I cannot sleep) and lost around 22 pounds, so I've considered speaking to my GP and getting some time off for stress, but don't want to leave a job in that way.

What can I do - I feel my 6 weeks notice is more than reasonable given that I've only been in this position since September and that they've had ample time to replace me in my old role?

(I have since resigning last week, gone for interviews and secured another position - it took a lot of effort to get myself out of the dumps - they are happy to wait out my 12 weeks notice, but I am not. I really, really just feel like I need some time out before starting the new role, so that last thing I now want is to be held to the 12 weeks because it will leave me with very little time to recover before starting the new job).

sangie595 · 13 January 2018 at 9:32AM

You are clearly aware of this already, but your notice period is your notice period. It is not a period that you later decide is "reasonable". So you have already outlined your options. Go off sick, work your notice, or breach your contract and hope that the employer takes no action against you.

WobblyDog · 13 January 2018 at 11:51AM

My employer also has 3 month notice periods. I haven't noticed them reducing it for any of the people in my office who have left in the last few years, even when there's little or no handover to be done. I assume they don't want to set the precedent of making it negotiable.

Mulder00 · 13 January 2018 at 1:35PM

Thanks for the responses. I know what I signed and that I'm the one to get myself into it (I did feel under a bit of pressure as they sent me the contract on 11 September with a start date of 4 September and gave me a business day in which to sign and return it - I discussed the notice period with my line manager who brushed it off as being a trivial matter and tried to hurry me to sign it because the system had to be updated). I know, I signed it.

I only know of one person who had a longer notice period who managed to come to an agreement, but generally not many people are on such long notice periods.

Really hoping that all of this worry is for nothing and we can come to a mutual agreement at some point this week. I am just frustrated by the fact that they are trying to keep me around when it is making me super miserable (why pay someone to be where they don't want to be) and the only reason for it is because they haven't found someone to replace me in my previous role (my previous role is much more business critical than my current one).

getmore4less · 13 January 2018 at 2:13PM

Your error was not dropping/handing over the old roll by being too busy in your new roll.

Use the 12 weeks to learn to manage the situation that has caused you issues.

As you know you are leaving that should help.

inglorius · 14 January 2018 at 12:53PM

If you turn your argument around, if your company made you redundant and they said you would only be paid one months notice instead of 3 months would you find this acceptable?

Mulder00 · 14 January 2018 at 3:00PM

inglorius wrote: »

If you turn your argument around, if your company made you redundant and they said you would only be paid one months notice instead of 3 months would you find this acceptable?

Yes, I would be perfectly happy with it. I was completely happy with my 4 weeks notice and I didn't ask for it to change, the company just sent me a new contract and told me I had to sign it as my job changed a week earlier already. It was just brushed off as a trivial change when I queried it.

I am not asking them to pay me for 12 weeks but only work 6 weeks, I'm saving them money by not paying for someone who doesn't want or need to be there. Financially this is 100% in their favour, not in mine.

They have previously negotiated changes to my contract, such as change of location, change of hours and it was perfectly acceptable then to negotiate something which was different to the contract, so this should be no different.

inglorius · 14 January 2018 at 4:37PM

Mulder00 wrote: »

Yes, I would be perfectly happy with it. I was completely happy with my 4 weeks notice and I didn't ask for it to change, the company just sent me a new contract and told me I had to sign it as my job changed a week earlier already. It was just brushed off as a trivial change when I queried it.

I am not asking them to pay me for 12 weeks but only work 6 weeks, I'm saving them money by not paying for someone who doesn't want or need to be there. Financially this is 100% in their favour, not in mine.

They have previously negotiated changes to my contract, such as change of location, change of hours and it was perfectly acceptable then to negotiate something which was different to the contract, so this should be no different.

From your reply you're obviously not happy, the whole crux of your complaint is that your company extended your notice period which you are on one hand saying you're comfortable with but on the other saying you don't wish to work this extended period.

If you're happy with the notice period extension then why are you complaining that you wish to curtail it? As a previous poster stated your either suck it up and work the extra time, go on the sick until it expires or leave and hope the business doesn't pursue you for associated damages.

Reduced notice period

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