Long Notice Periods
Discussion
Why do companies persist with long notice periods particularly in strategic roles.
I was on 3 months, manged to negotiate it down to two. I've done very little for the last 4 weeks.
There isnt much to handover. I'm senior management. It's not like there is loads of process to what I do. Its meetings, emails, decisions. Stuff you just have to work out for yourself
Final week now and I've not even bothered opening my laptop today. Checked my emails and messages on my phone at lunch, nothing. Waste of time
I was on 3 months, manged to negotiate it down to two. I've done very little for the last 4 weeks.
There isnt much to handover. I'm senior management. It's not like there is loads of process to what I do. Its meetings, emails, decisions. Stuff you just have to work out for yourself
Final week now and I've not even bothered opening my laptop today. Checked my emails and messages on my phone at lunch, nothing. Waste of time
Scabutz said:
Why do companies persist with long notice periods particularly in strategic roles.
I was on 3 months, manged to negotiate it down to two. I've done very little for the last 4 weeks.
There isnt much to handover. I'm senior management. It's not like there is loads of process to what I do. Its meetings, emails, decisions. Stuff you just have to work out for yourself
Final week now and I've not even bothered opening my laptop today. Checked my emails and messages on my phone at lunch, nothing. Waste of time
It is because they expect the person who will be replacing you, will also have a 3 month notice period. Add to that a couple of months to recruit someone, and it can be the best part of 6 months to replace someone who resigns.I was on 3 months, manged to negotiate it down to two. I've done very little for the last 4 weeks.
There isnt much to handover. I'm senior management. It's not like there is loads of process to what I do. Its meetings, emails, decisions. Stuff you just have to work out for yourself
Final week now and I've not even bothered opening my laptop today. Checked my emails and messages on my phone at lunch, nothing. Waste of time
They are trying to minimise disruption to the business by being well into the hiring process, and preferably with someone hired, by the time you leave.
They don't want the post unattended and strategic decisions being delayed for months.
I was the same. I had a 3 month notice on my last job, and I negotiated it down to 2. My current role also has 3 months notice. It seems standard now. Some employers are now going for 6 months notice contracts.
It is nothing more than a notice-period arms race, where employers think they are protecting themselves against having a gap in someone fulfilling that role.
Scabutz said:
Why do companies persist with long notice periods particularly in strategic roles.
I was on 3 months, manged to negotiate it down to two. I've done very little for the last 4 weeks.
There isnt much to handover. I'm senior management. It's not like there is loads of process to what I do. Its meetings, emails, decisions. Stuff you just have to work out for yourself
Final week now and I've not even bothered opening my laptop today. Checked my emails and messages on my phone at lunch, nothing. Waste of time
Can you send me a link to the job advert for the one you have resigned from? Sounds like you do fI was on 3 months, manged to negotiate it down to two. I've done very little for the last 4 weeks.
There isnt much to handover. I'm senior management. It's not like there is loads of process to what I do. Its meetings, emails, decisions. Stuff you just have to work out for yourself
Final week now and I've not even bothered opening my laptop today. Checked my emails and messages on my phone at lunch, nothing. Waste of time
k all. I changed jobs a couple of years back - my 6 month notice was an eternity. No chance of negotiating it down and being the choirboy I am, I still delivered above my target, more a way of styling it out to my old firm, which was being an arse.
I don't know why firms do this. Yes, it deters people from leaving, but it's a two way street - if you are recruiting my replacement (which to be honest, would be matched by a pangolin, a bonobo or a cheeseplant), you don't want to be sitting there for 6 months.
It is also not good for morale - when you have someone there working a long notice, with a face like his dog just died, all Tony Hancock and bringing the place down...
Castrol for a knave said:
I changed jobs a couple of years back - my 6 month notice was an eternity. No chance of negotiating it down and being the choirboy I am, I still delivered above my target, more a way of styling it out to my old firm, which was being an arse.
I don't know why firms do this. Yes, it deters people from leaving, but it's a two way street - if you are recruiting my replacement (which to be honest, would be matched by a pangolin, a bonobo or a cheeseplant), you don't want to be sitting there for 6 months.
It is also not good for morale - when you have someone there working a long notice, with a face like his dog just died, all Tony Hancock and bringing the place down...
Agree with all of that, it is just a pain in the arse.I don't know why firms do this. Yes, it deters people from leaving, but it's a two way street - if you are recruiting my replacement (which to be honest, would be matched by a pangolin, a bonobo or a cheeseplant), you don't want to be sitting there for 6 months.
It is also not good for morale - when you have someone there working a long notice, with a face like his dog just died, all Tony Hancock and bringing the place down...
I have no evidence for this, but I have a feeling it puts companies off hiring someone who won't be able to start with them for 6 months. Most places seem to be in quite a hurry to get a role filled and get someone started.
Scabutz said:
I suppose one benefit to an employee if its 3 months both ways and you get made redundant its a got chunk of cash for PILON.
I'd never agree to a 6 month notice. I worked for a company once and the MD was on 12 months.
I would never agree to 6 months either. It would be absolute purgatory, and would make applying for other jobs more difficult IMO. People react badly enough when you tell them they have to wait 3 months for your arrival, never mind 6 months. I'd never agree to a 6 month notice. I worked for a company once and the MD was on 12 months.
3 months is tolerable, and you can sometimes wing it down to 2, or use a bit of holiday to shorten it.
Mont Blanc said:
Scabutz said:
I suppose one benefit to an employee if its 3 months both ways and you get made redundant its a got chunk of cash for PILON.
I'd never agree to a 6 month notice. I worked for a company once and the MD was on 12 months.
I would never agree to 6 months either. It would be absolute purgatory, and would make applying for other jobs more difficult IMO. People react badly enough when you tell them they have to wait 3 months for your arrival, never mind 6 months. I'd never agree to a 6 month notice. I worked for a company once and the MD was on 12 months.
3 months is tolerable, and you can sometimes wing it down to 2, or use a bit of holiday to shorten it.
Jasandjules said:
Why complain? They pay you to stay at home.... Or you can be job hunting if that is needed. Massive benefit if you are made redundant for example or if you don't have a job lined up. Buys you time.
Yeah I know but I want to start my new job, it's better and has a large pay rise, but instead I'm twiddling my thumbs doing jack st.Scabutz said:
Jasandjules said:
Why complain? They pay you to stay at home.... Or you can be job hunting if that is needed. Massive benefit if you are made redundant for example or if you don't have a job lined up. Buys you time.
Yeah I know but I want to start my new job, it's better and has a large pay rise, but instead I'm twiddling my thumbs doing jack st.
I see 3 months as a nice balance for both employer and employee personally. Bit of security for both, but I've been made redundant more than once so perhaps am more cautious than some. Slightly ironically the only time I've had 3 months notice I ended up resigning with no job to go to!
Scabutz said:
Why do companies persist with long notice periods particularly in strategic roles.
With my employer's hat on, it's to ensure people important to the business feel secure and wanted and, if they want to leave, there's time to recruit a suitable replacement. From my own perspective, there's not much value in tying people in to 'prevent' them leaving. If they don't want to work for you the performance will drop off pretty quickly and you won't get a tune out of them. Recruiters for senior people are adept at handling notice periods, as are prospective employers.
Depending on the role, another objective might be gardening leave creating a buffer to protect commercial secrets/relationships.
We have an extremely lazy Director, who I have suffered worked alongside for the past 5 years, who recently handed in his notice and is now being even more belligerent, unhelpful and obstructive.
Genuinely cannot wait for the arrogant prick to leave. Just counting down the days…
He’s now bringing nothing to the business (which has been the case for years tbh), so it would be far better if we were to jog him on and put him on gardening leave or just pay him up to the end of his notice, as it’s just so toxic within a small team.
Genuinely cannot wait for the arrogant prick to leave. Just counting down the days…
He’s now bringing nothing to the business (which has been the case for years tbh), so it would be far better if we were to jog him on and put him on gardening leave or just pay him up to the end of his notice, as it’s just so toxic within a small team.
The last time I left a job after a nine year stay (about 18 months ago) it was 6 months, no negotiation. During that time I was gradually distanced from the most interesting parts of what I was doing.
I work in motorsport and this is fairly common practice to stop instant transfer of sensitive development, technology and information so it’s understandable. I still had plenty to do in various roles during that time and almost wished I had had another week…
I work in motorsport and this is fairly common practice to stop instant transfer of sensitive development, technology and information so it’s understandable. I still had plenty to do in various roles during that time and almost wished I had had another week…
Scabutz said:
Why do companies persist with long notice periods particularly in strategic roles.
I was on 3 months, manged to negotiate it down to two. I've done very little for the last 4 weeks.
There isnt much to handover. I'm senior management. It's not like there is loads of process to what I do. Its meetings, emails, decisions. Stuff you just have to work out for yourself
Final week now and I've not even bothered opening my laptop today. Checked my emails and messages on my phone at lunch, nothing. Waste of time
Limiting the transfer of information. In had to endure 6moths of ‘garden leave’ last year. After the initial euphoria, it was pretty crap. Looking back now, probably should have done more with the free time. So, that’d be my only advice! I was on 3 months, manged to negotiate it down to two. I've done very little for the last 4 weeks.
There isnt much to handover. I'm senior management. It's not like there is loads of process to what I do. Its meetings, emails, decisions. Stuff you just have to work out for yourself
Final week now and I've not even bothered opening my laptop today. Checked my emails and messages on my phone at lunch, nothing. Waste of time
a340driver said:
Is it preferable to a no compete clause in some way?
I've got one of those as well. I also had a non-disparage clause attached to a retainer but as I'm walking away from that I guess I can slag them off at will.Thankfully new role is a totally different industry to current so the non compete isn't an issue.
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