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(UK based question by the way)

If you have received a job offer, and now have the written contract, it's now time to hand in that notice to get the ball rolling for your resignation.

However you are on annual leave for a few days (3 physical working days). Your contract specifically states notice should be written and not verbal. Notice, in this instance, is specified in the contract simply as "one month".

Waiting out the extra few days means your start date inevitably moves forward.

If the new employer is keen on getting you started ASAP, what would be the best way to handle this?

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    Either email or if possible pop into your work place to hand in a resignation letter?
    – Richard Dalton
    Commented Nov 16, 2013 at 14:53
  • As Richard says email is the way to go and don't forget you are owed any untaken leave so you could probably start earlier than one month if you are owed any PYLON (payment in leiu of notice)
    – Neuromancer
    Commented Nov 16, 2013 at 17:31
  • I would at a minimum call to let the boss know anyways, and then submit it via fax so that it is "written" - ideally I would stop by the office (even if I am off that day) for a quick meeting with the boss first, or perhaps ask if he can meet you for lunch.
    – user2813274
    Commented Aug 15, 2014 at 15:04
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    I don't understand, why don't you just send an email?
    – o0'.
    Commented Sep 2, 2015 at 12:49

2 Answers 2

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If the new employer is keen on getting you started ASAP, what would be the best way to handle this?

If you are required to submit a full 1-month notice in writing, submitting during your 3-day leave isn't going to have much impact. You could just go ahead and submit it now.

That said, I always believe it's nice to tell your immediate boss about your planned departure first, and to do it in person. To me that's part of acting professionally. As a manager, I would personally be disappointed to learn of a resignation in writing without first hearing it directly.

If there's any way you can pop into work for a quick chat with your boss, I think that would be best for everyone. Bring your written resignation letter with you to expedite that part of the process.

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Will three days make that much difference? Perhaps more importantly, are your managers and coworkers likely to think it does? If they are likely to get upset you are better off to just work the extra days. Better to keep them onside, you might need them in the future. It's only three days.

I've quit a job once when I'd booked a month off around new year and my team leader was due back from leave just after I started my leave. I got offered a better job during the week before I went on leave (I'd been kinda looking, but the offer was unexpected - who hires new staff in the middle of summer holidays?) In that situation if I'd waited to give notice in person and do handover I wouldn't have been able to start the new job for two months. So I just quit and said "sorry for the leave situation, I did not set this up but it has worked out badly. I'm happy to work a few nights and weekends doing handover if you're happy to pay me for the time". I'm still on good terms with my coworkers there, but the manager I was quitting to avoid a: was encouraged to leave and b: dislikes me more than he did before.

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    Hey Moz, welcome to The Workplace! It's great you've shared your experiences in your post, which is important to meet our site's back it up rule. It would help if you could add at the end of this post what the asker should do, as it's important for our answers to also answer the question. Good luck! :)
    – jmort253
    Commented Nov 23, 2013 at 23:10
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    @jmort: you want me to switch the paragraph order? Or are you suggesting that " If they are likely to get upset you are better off to just work the extra days" does not answer the question?
    – Móż
    Commented Nov 24, 2013 at 4:39
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    Ah, I get what you're saying. You did say what to do. You can swap them if you want to. Sometimes posts look like follow up questions when the first few sentences contain questions. Obviously, that's not the case here, but how you frame your posts can prevent them from getting mistakenly flagged. :) Hope this helps!
    – jmort253
    Commented Nov 24, 2013 at 4:46
  • @jmort: no worries. But it does feel odd to be talked down to by someone who can't post without emoticons and shouting!
    – Móż
    Commented Nov 24, 2013 at 4:53
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    Shouting is typically done IN ALL CAPS.
    – jmort253
    Commented Nov 24, 2013 at 4:58

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