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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Christmas temp job

37 replies

flavourcucumber · 05/01/2020 19:07

I struggled to find work for the 3 months after I finished my postgrad degree in September - so from November last year I got a minimum wage job in a supermarket. I hate it. It's demoralising that that's all I could get with 3 degrees. I've suffered with depression.

I was interviewed on Friday for a relevant and good role in my industry and was offered the role on the spot. CEO wants a meeting this coming week, with a view to start role at the end of the week.

I am on a lot of hours in the supermarket this week to cover holiday. I am aware that it will look awful to just quit and give no notice, and it's a headache for the people involved in management as it's quite a small shop and not many people in.

My contract is only 12 hours, but I am doing something like 35 this week coming.

I really want/need this job and I am so excited, I just don't know what to do about the supermarket! I can reasonably work tomorrow, but the meeting is likely Weds.

AIBU to just go in tomorrow and quit and give no notice? Will I still get paid for the last 2 weeks' work?

Or should I tell the CEO I have to work notice? The meeting can't be re-arranged. He told me to just quit and not go back.

OP posts:
Nightmanagerfan · 05/01/2020 19:08

Honestly I’d just quit and apologise. New job more important! Congratulations on the new roke

Nightmanagerfan · 05/01/2020 19:08

*role

Strangerthingshere · 05/01/2020 19:10

If I absolutely had to I would leave the supermarket and give priority to the new job.

However an employer that tells you to just quit rings alarm bells with me. I'd never tell anyone to do that out of respect for the previous employer.

SuckingDieselFella · 05/01/2020 19:12

Try to leave on good terms if you can. What kind of contract do you have with the supermarket? How much notice do you have to give?

If the CEO wants you to leave another employer in the lurch, that would set off alarm bells for me. He might do the same to you one day.

SuckingDieselFella · 05/01/2020 19:13

Snap, @Strangerthingshere

Oysterbabe · 05/01/2020 19:16

I'd just explain the situation, leave and never go back.

JonSlow · 05/01/2020 19:19

I’m with @Strangerthingshere. A CEO with that little dignity and professional courtesy rings a lot of alarm bells for me.

dontgobaconmyheart · 05/01/2020 19:22

I wouldn't leave any job or create bad feeling without having signed a contract of employment for the new job role for a start, OP. I would also be checking the contract carefully, you will presumably be on a probationary period when starting during which your new employer can terminate your employ with very little notice so it is never a good idea to burn bridges.

Very unprofessional and bad form that a CEO is urging you to leave without notice from your current position, that is usually very frowned upon. A decent employer will expect you to work it and accommodate that, so that rings alarm bells.

re: your situation, you are entitled to be paid for any hours worked, if you have taken any holiday entitlement that takes you over the actual % of hours work, this would be deducted but as we are at the end of the financial year that seems unlikely. You are not contractually obligated to work any overtime so simply need to appraise your manager that that won't be possible. I would even ring in sick the day of the meeting if i had to , in order to avoid a rash resignation, thought its not ideal and management won't give you the day off. If you are planning to leave you can also as if they will release you from your notice early.

Do nothing until you have had this 'meeting'- it all sounds dodgy and the CEO is unreasonable to expect a start date of a week. I would renegotiate this if possible. Get it all in writing and protect your source of income until you have another.

MT2017 · 05/01/2020 19:24

Be very wary. The fact that he wants you to start so quickly and also that he has such a cavalier attitude to your current job sounds v dodgy indeed.

bridgetreilly · 05/01/2020 19:24

If it's a temp job, you don't have to give notice. However, I would probably just talk to the manager and explain the situation. Say you won't be in on Wednesday, but ask if they still want you to work the rest of the hours.

Spitsandspots · 05/01/2020 19:27

He told me to just quit and not go back

Don not quit until you have signed something. By all means throw a sickie if you have to for the meeting but what kind of CEO thinks it’s acceptable to just quit on the spot?

FTMF30 · 05/01/2020 19:30

I've been in your position and have had many jobs/interviews. I understand hiw demoralizing it is to do all the hard work at uni and it feel like it's amounted to nothing.

However, never in my experience have I had a career type role that's been offered to me on the spot. Employers should carefully consider who they employ. It's the shitty jobs I've gotten on the spot. And, as others have said, the CEO soujds very unprofessional. Major red flag.

Retroflex · 05/01/2020 19:34

You have been lucky enough to obtain a position relevant to your degrees, when there are a lot of postgraduates who are either unemployed or working in a position much like you are now.

You should tell the supermarket that you quit, but I'm not sure why you believe you may be paid for hours you haven't worked for the 2 weeks though?

I think you would be unreasonable to ask the employer to hold the position for you, as working in a supermarket is a job which anyone could apply for, and you're replaceable there.

needanewnamechange · 05/01/2020 19:34

You can speak to the manager but chances are he will be pissed off only because it's a headache for him .
Years ago I had a casual weekend job at supermarket while at college no contract but worked some evenings and occasionally filled in for staff during holidays . Anyway I got a full time job in what I was training for so I rang my manager to tell him . I was willing to work for a couple of weeks but before I had chance to explain that he shouted at me . I was only 18 and he was like oh for gods sake thanks for that really nasty . I was so shocked that someone who I thought was nice would speak to me just for getting a job when he knew I was casual and wouldn't stay forever. After that I learnt that managers are just that a manager they don't care about the staff just that you turn up . I'm just trying to say don't feel you have to be nice and loyal you've studied for this job and your manager knows this . Just say I'm letting you know I'm leaving .

bridgetreilly · 05/01/2020 19:42

Oh, sorry, I missed that you have an actual contract. In that case the professional thing to do is to say to the potential new boss that you aren't available until X date, which is whenever you've worked your notice. And if he gets cross, point out that's what he would expect his own employees to do when they leave.

Mlou32 · 05/01/2020 19:47

Surely any reputable company would understand that you have commitments to your current employer to honour and would be willing to wait until you had worked out your notice period? I would be wary about the professionalism of such a company. Also as another poster has said, I would doubt how 'good' a job this really is. Reputable companies wouldn't just offer you a nob on the spot and tell you to have no consideration for your current employer.

Perhaps explain the situation to your current employer and tell them that you want to honour your commitment to them. See if they can move your hours around at all so that you could do Mon-Fri days in your new job and perhaps evening/weekend shifts in the supermarket. Or tell the new employer that you can start but you would appreciate a bit of flexibility in your hours the first week or two to allow you to work out your notice period. Any employer that says no isn't worth their salt.

But this new job sounds dodgy and it's really ringing alarm bells for me.

Spied · 05/01/2020 19:47

Be careful on the way up.
You never know who you might meet/need on the way down...
Or something like thatConfused
I'd leave the supermarket in the correct manner and on good terms.
I must say your new boss sounds Hmm

TheDarkPassenger · 05/01/2020 19:47

Your new boss sounds dodge af

Mlou32 · 05/01/2020 19:50

*offer you a job, not a nob! 😂

Merryoldgoat · 05/01/2020 19:51

Sorry - I wouldn’t trust any employer who told you to leave your current employment.

Do you have a letter formally offering you the job? I wouldn’t ever hand in notice without it.

Merryoldgoat · 05/01/2020 19:51

Leave your current employer without notice

Original poster
flavourcucumber · 05/01/2020 19:52

Sorry I was typing quickly and didn't fully explain what the CEO said - he didn't say just quit.

We were speaking at the end of the meeting, and he asked what my notice period was in the temp role, I said I wasn't sure, and he said "I'm sure you can just quit with no notice with a temp contract". That was it.

The role I've been given is a role that is not unusual to be given one the spot ... it's quite niche. And, it is largely based on portfolios.

The new job is flexible and can be done on my own schedule, so it's a case of working that around my notice I feel.

OP posts:
Pinkyyy · 05/01/2020 19:55

I'd get a contract from the new job and leave without working notice, you'll get paid for what you've worked. I don't agree that it sounds dodgy, he knows that retail jobs are easy to get and that not working your notice really won't have too much of a negative effect on your life.

ILoveAllRainbowsx · 05/01/2020 19:59

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

JonSlow · 05/01/2020 20:01

I'm sure you can just quit with no notice with a temp contract

and

He told me to just quit and not go back.

Are two completely different things.