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The notice period

The notice period can last from a few days to three months or more. It is worth checking how other leavers have been treated, and thinking about any projects that you may need to finish before your departure. Your employer could ask you to leave immediately. In some cases, employees leaving a sensitive project or position are escorted directly to their desk to collect their things and then out of the building immediately after they resign. Equally, your employer might insist that you work out the full notice period.

If there’s a ‘gardening leave’ clause in your current contract, you might effectively find yourself on paid leave for a while. But this isn’t the easy option it sounds – your old employer can call on you at any time to fulfil your duties during this period if they wish. Hence gardening rather than holiday leave, perhaps. 

Both you and your old employer should do everything possible to keep the leaving process smooth. In most cases, a reasonable agreement can be reached that gives you time to finish things off while avoiding having you hanging around as a disgruntled soon-to-be-ex-employee.

Both sides should remember that while you all remain in the same sector, you may need to have a working relationship in the future, especially given the continued growth in company mergers and acquisitions, so it is crucial to keep things civil.

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