Handing in notice and other issues

[TeamSteady]

Hi All,

Just would like options if it would be seen as very rude to hand in notice in writing without a meeting with my boss?

I work in retail. In a small shop that is dedicated to a specialist hobby. I have a zero hours contract but usually work on average 1-2 days per week, sometimes I won't have any days one week and will work two the next. There is almost always only one member of staff working each day. Occasionally my boss will pop in to sort something out, but I can go for several weeks without seeing her.

Firstly I think I am still on probation, but would like to clarify if any employment buffs would know? My contract is dated March 21st 2014. I had a trial on the 28th Feb and a practise run on the 7th March, both of which i was paid for. I then worked the 13th and 20th of March alone in charge of the shop. My contract says that there is a 9 month probation period, during which either party only has to give one weeks notice. Can I assume that that runs until December 21st? And is not affected by the fact that I actually started working properly on the 13th March? Therefore so long as I hand my notice in before Sunday it is only 1 weeks notice?

I had planned on handing in my notice mid november as I knew my boss would be popping in and thought it would be more polite to speak to her in person. I had wanted to hand my notice in as my circumstances have changed and I do not need the money any more and there were a few minor niggles with the job, e.g. messing up my pay/ paying late/ general lack of organisation and then telling me off in october for not giving more notice that my 5 year old was ill (contract says you must let her know the morning you are working latest, i let her know at 8pm the evening before as he had only started showing symptoms early evening- sounds petty but relevant in a min!) There were things that were a little awkward but overall i thought we had a pretty good relationship.

I was then not working for a week and then back in again in the first week of December. After being at work for 1.5 hours I had a call from my sons school saying he was ill and needed picking up straight away. As it happened my boss was at the shop that morning as she was sorting stock out for a trade show the next day. I explained that i was very sorry but i needed to leave. She was very unimpressed and asked if I could not get someone else to collect him/ could I collect him and then leave him with someone else and come back. I apologised and said almost certainly not. I have no family or friends locally that don't work, particularly that are close enough to look after a sick child. Of course if it had been the usual situation of myself being the only one in the shop then i would have waited for cover but as she was there i left straight away. She was angry as she said she had a lot to sort out for the trade show and could not cover the shop herself, possibly she could get a friend to cover for an hour if i can come back. I said I would let her know what was happening/if i could get any cover but that it was unlikely.

I picked my son up and the school nurse/first aider suggested i take him to dr's as his temp was very high, he had been sick and he was sobbing that his ear hurt so possible infection. Went straight to dr's who said nasty ear infection, temp of 39.5 despite calpol etc, you need to get it down and if it goes above 40 come back as it can be dangerous. Obviously at this point it was pretty obvious I was not going to be able to leave him with anyone. I text my boss (we regularly communicate via text for work purposes so not unusual) and told her I was in Dr waiting room and how ill DS was. I then text her again after the appointment and explained the situation as well as apologising for leaving her in the lurch and appreciating how inconvenient it was for her and apologising again. I didn't get anything back from either message. Completely ignored me. I was not scheduled to work last week, due in this Thursday. Not heard anything since.

Im pretty disappointed tbh. I try to be a reliable and agreeable person. But this has tipped me over the edge. I just think not even acknowledging me is very unprofessional. I'm done and just want out. I would have previously happily worked the longer notice of 4 weeks to try and be helpful, make sure she wasn't left in the lurch but i just want to quit asap now. I would have preferred to hand in my notice last week whilst I was off but unfortunately had my own medical problem and was in hospital for a gynae issue. I am also cautious that being a specialist hobby shop it is a small world and I would really hate to be bad mouthed to the customers or similar as I will probably see many of them in the future.

Bearing in mind it is not easy to arrange a face to face meeting at work, would it be seen as acceptable to hand my notice in via letter?

I am also worried as there is a small chance that I am not going to be fit for work this week due to the procedure I had last week as I am still having bleeding and the job involves a fair amount of heavy lifting/loading customers orders for them. I would guess this would go down like a cup of cold sick and be seen as an excuse/unreliability just because I want to quit anyway.

In addition to the above, where do I stand with holiday pay? I haven't taken any paid holiday since i started. I have worked 224 hours up until the 10/12 (will be another 6 on thursday) so i think, having looked as the gov.uk website that i am entitled to just over 27 hours paid holiday? Can i request it when i hand my notice in? I assume as a lump sum? Can she refuse as I have handed my notice in?

I am dreading the whole thing tbh, what with sick child over the past few weeks, my own medical issue, plus a whole other load of family dramas, this is just a huge other stress that i don't need. :( Based on the previous behaviour i think she is going to take it badly. As it is such a small business, just run by her, and with only myself and two other p/t members of staff, i think she takes it all very personally as it is her baby that she has built up. I am just feeling really quite overwhelmed

Thanks for reading

[FishWithABicycle]

For the holiday, you will probably just get a lump sum paying you for the 27 hours holiday at the end of the Company's "Leave Year" - which could be any time of year and may not be for months after you leave. They cannot refuse to give it to you at all though, that would be illegal and you could sue them - but only once it's clear they aren't coughing up.

The 9 months probation will run from the date on the contract, whenever that is. However, as it is a zero-hours contract you are presumably able to decline any work you don't want to do, aren't you? so the notice period shouldn't matter too much.

handing in notice by letter is fine, so long as your letter is polite it won't cause offence.

[FishWithABicycle]

p.s. sorry that both you and your little one have been unwell - I meant to start with that.

[TeamSteady]

Thank you.

Well, she writes up a rota at the beginning of the month, sometimes in advance of that, and you are supposed to tell her in advance of that if there are any days you can't do. If it's on the rota the expectation is there that you will work those days. The current rota has me down for 3 more days in December and one in the first week of Jan. So pretty sure she will not be pleased that she has to find cover/new member of staff at short-ish notice.

[EvaTheOptimist]

Whenever I've been somewhere with a probation period, there is actually a meeting or a piece of communication to confirm that all is satisfactory and confirm that the contract is now permanent.

So I think you are fine to assume you are still in the probation period - and give one week's notice.

Yes - sorry you've all been ill. In fact, it sounds like you really ought to be off sick this week - genuinely. There must be something about sick leave in your contract? But post her your resignation letter anyway!!