Employer wants me to work longer notice period

[AlTempleton]

I've handed my notice in at work, standard 4-week notice period, with my reason that I'm semi-retiring. (I'll be doing part time freelance work here and there.)

They struggle to fill my role because they pay below industry standard, so whenever we've recruited in the past for my team it's taken months to get people in place. They've now asked me if I'll work two months notice instead of one to give them more time to recruit, seeing as I am "only retiring and not committed to a new job or anything".

I really don't want to. I'm drained and sick of the job and want out as soon as I can. But now I feel like I have no excuses to give them as I've already told them I'm semi-retiring. What would you do?

I would say contractually I have a 4 week notice period. If they want you to work longer they need to take you on as a consultant for the period afterwords - charge them £400 per day.

Just say no. You have committed to that date and that is when you will be leaving. Their problem is not your problem.

Is the freelance work coming from them? Do you need their goodwill in the future?

No my freelance work is coming from elsewhere.

My current employer wouldn't pay freelancer rates as employees are much cheaper.

When I decided to retire from my job at a university, I handed in my notice to my line manager who said ‘you can’t just give me four weeks notice’. My reply was ‘well if you’d put me on an academic contract you would have got three months’ (and I would have got a better pension). You don’t owe them anything. If you want to leave, then leave. Just tell them you have already committed to other things.

@GrumpyHoonMain

I would say contractually I have a 4 week notice period. If they want you to work longer they need to take you on as a consultant for the period afterwords - charge them £400 per day.

I know someone who did something similar. He was at/beyond his retirement age, there was a lot of changes going on at the company that made it a PITA to work there, he could afford to retire and had given the company several months notice that he intended to retire on X date.

They begged him to stay and after he said no several times, he thought 'fuck it, I'll say yes, but only at some massively high rate (I don't know what it was) and he'd use the money to buy a car, have a fancy holiday etc etc.

Unfortunately the company accepted his price and he then felt duty bound to go through with it. He did manage to get out a few months later though.

Tell them you have new freelance work lined up for four weeks time, sorry no can do.

@AlTempleton

No my freelance work is coming from elsewhere.

My current employer wouldn't pay freelancer rates as employees are much cheaper.

That’s the choice you offer them, if they don’t want to pay for you as a freelancer then you only give 4 weeks notice.

To be honest I wouldn't even want to freelance for them, even at a higher rate. The work has become a complicated process-riddled nightmare.

It's not like you need a reference from them.
Just tell them no that doesn't work for you.
Fuck them, seeing as they won't even pay their own staff properly.
You owe those fuckers nothing.

Telling them I have freelance work lined up is a good idea. I was initially thinking I'd tell them I have a holiday booked but with lockdown that would so clearly be a lie!

Just say ‘no’.

If they were firing you would they extend your notice until you found a new job? Of course not. Be strong, say no, and enjoy your semi-retirement

My current employer wouldn't pay freelancer rates as employees are much cheaper

But they can't get employees at the rate they pay, and certainly not with your level of experience.

A freelancer that they know and is standing right in front of them, is a lot easier and could be cheaper to take on, than it is to go through a full recruitment process (advertising, shortlisting, interviewing, processing/inducting/training a new starter) even if they monthly salary is higher.

@Taikoo

It's not like you need a reference from them. Just tell them no that doesn't work for you. Fuck them, seeing as they won't even pay their own staff properly. You owe those fuckers nothing.

You're right; I don't know why I'm getting so tied up about it.

@citycitycity

If they were firing you would they extend your notice until you found a new job? Of course not. Be strong, say no, and enjoy your semi-retirement

Thank you

All really good points - thanks so much everyone. I'm going to say I've already got commitments lined up for March so i can't work any longer. You're all correct; they should pay more if they want to fill roles faster.

You’d be doing other workers in your industry no favours by covering for the company’s refusal to pay the going rate.

I’m genuinely confused why you think you need to give an excuse. No I don’t want to extend my notice is perfectly adequate.

"I'm not interested".
Keep it simple.

"I'm sorry, I have other plans after my finishing date."

No need to tell them that your plans are sitting on the sofa and feeling glad to don't work for them anymore!

I wouldn't give them an excuse to be honest. As is often said here no is a full sentence.

Say no, or figure out how much money you’d want for that extra month to be worth it and ask for that. Doesn’t matter if it sounds stupidly high, it’s your time and you can set your own price. They can only say no. Then you could start your semi retirement with a tidy bonus.

If you really are having a fit of undeserved generosity, or want to be kind to any colleagues who have been decent pleasant people to work with (assuming that they are), perhaps offer to be part-time for a period? And for it to not seem as if it is all take by them, that it starts in less than a month's time.