To quit with immediate effect? Am I allowed?

[Randomondo]

I've had a job for a while and always got on with everyone, my previous manager made me feel really appreciated, she gave me pay rises for work well done, bonuses, gave extra holidays and paid sick time. I work in an office owned by someone who leaves all those decisions to the management, so she was budgeting with profits to give us all extras and it made us all work a lot harder.
She left not long ago and we have a new manager who said our old manager was stupid to be cutting her own profits to give us more and has basically stopped it all. We don't get paid sick time, had our holidays back to basics and we've all been put back down to minimum wage, some people have lost £5 an hour because of this.
Naturally people have started leaving. It's a stressful job and if we're getting minimum wage we may as well go anywhere else for the same rate of pay. We started getting really short staffed and now are down to hardly anyone. The owner came in and asked us last week what's happening and we told him, but the managed is standing firm he's simply lost the "dead wood" and it's a positive step. One of the women I work with got a job in a supermarket for more money and she's got me and 2 other people a job there, but my notice period is a month.
The others have all just left straight away. Now I feel bad. If we all go together I don't think the business will carry on since it's lost too much money. I told the owner and he seemed concerned but trusts the new manager. When I told the new manager I had another job he told me he'd refuse to accept my resignation and he'd dock my last wage if I didn't work the notice period anyway.

I've been looking it up and it says that's now allowed. But I do feel bad. What would you all do? Should I just go?

[KihoBebiluPute]

I should think the owner needs to sack the rubbish manager and boost the budget for wages and bonuses pronto - but presumably all the employees who have left will be the most capable and employable ones (including OP) and whichever staff are left will be the least useful ones so yes the business is probably doomed. The owner will be learning a valuable lesson that they need to keep involved and act quicker when there is employee dissatisfaction.

[WomanStanleyWoman]

The chances of you being taken to court are absolutely zero. The manager may have threatened to do it, but it isn’t within his power. Any breach of contract would be a breach of your contract with the business, not him as an individual - the business would have to sue. That’s why you’ve done exactly the right thing by contacting the owner.

The fact that the historic better pay and conditions weren't written in a contract may not be relevant - I know that with things like working hours, there's the concept of "custom and practice" in that if something has been happening for months/years in a particular way then the employee is entitled to assume that is now normal and a significant change requires the same kind of consultation etc as if it was in the written contract.

Absolutely. You could have a case for constructive dismissal. Personally I wouldn’t bother, but it’s not a bad bargaining chip if the manager gives you any more shit.

[Merryoldgoat]

Can I please ask what it is you do? I know it’s sales but I can’t think of many sales jobs paying min wage. Except maybe double glazing via a call centre…

The owner is bizarre and deserves their company to fail. Is it possible they are in a relationship with the new manager?! I can’t think why else they’d be so shit.

[billy1966]

How bizarre that the owner is so passive.
You have made the correct decision.

Perhaps confirm by email your agreement with the owner.

Good luck.

[IveGotASongThatllGetOnYNerves]

The business deserves to go under.
Your staff are your business. Shit on them and you have no business
You owe them fuck all.

Good luck in your new job.

[newnortherner111]

Good luck in your new job, hope it works out well.

[Pingued]

Well done. All their threats just proved you're better off out of there.

[KihoBebiluPute]

Leave as soon as your July wages hit your bank account. You are not an indentured slave and cannot be forced to work against your will. They can make a factual statement on your references both for this job and for future job seeking (you usually have to have references from last 2 employers) that you broke your contract by leaving without notice but that is the maximum damage they can do.

The fact that the historic better pay and conditions weren't written in a contract may not be relevant - I know that with things like working hours, there's the concept of "custom and practice" in that if something has been happening for months/years in a particular way then the employee is entitled to assume that is now normal and a significant change requires the same kind of consultation etc as if it was in the written contract.

[Saltyslug]

Yes the business needs to learn the hard way. Treat employees badly, reap the consequences

[Saltyslug]

Personally I’d contact the business owner and explain that you’d reconsider the position if a better manager and better financial terms were in place. Tell him you’ve enjoyed working with the company but the minimum wage, lesser holiday and lack of sick pay don’t make it a viable option

[Soubriquet]

The business deserves to fail if they think treating staff like that is ok

I hope you enjoy your new job

[swampytiggaa]

Good luck in your new job! I’ve swopped to a supermarket since Covid and I really enjoy it.

[Randomondo]

Thank you all!

I called the manager this morning and told him I won't be returning as my new job has asked me to start Monday. Manager has said if I go back he will raise my wage by 50p an hour, but I'll be getting more a the new job so I declined. He said he'd withhold my wages and take me to court but after that I spoke to the owner who told me I would get my last wage but still asked me to stay.
Neither of them seem to be taking me seriously so I went in this afternoon to drop my keys to the building off and clear my desk out. It was very sad as I've worked there for a while now and I loved by job. And unfortunately now I think the business will sink as it's a very difficult job to do and no one's going to do it for minimum wage!

But I've done. So thank you all for helping me!

[SmokeyDevil]

Nah sod them both. It's the owners fault for not giving a shit. His fault if he loses his business, not yours. Go to your new job without a second thought for them.

[Rno3gfr]

Docked pay? Minimum wage? Not your problem.

If you’re not being appreciated and you’re not breaking the law you owe nothing.

[Merryoldgoat]

How long have you worked there?

[Hankunamatata]

If it's in your contract to work a months notice then they could in theory sue you for breach of contract. Or they may illegal.hold.onto later months wage then when you take action against them to get the money then then sue you for breach of contract

[Randomondo]

Just to answer a few questions.

I work in sales.

It was never written into any of our contracts about our pay increases or holidays or sick pay since it was at the managers discretion and we were warned if profits fell she couldn't afford to keep it up but that never happened before.

My concern isn't for the manager but for the owner. While he's ignored all of us I still feel sad he's probably going to lose his business very soon when there's no staff left. I know this is silly since we've all lost a lot.

We work a month in hand so this month's wage isn't paid until the end of next month. New manager said that not working my notice period would cause the company to lose money and therefore they can refuse to pay me. I know this is illegal and definitely wrong but he's a fairly stubborn man and I do believe he'd hold it out of spite and make me take action.

All in all thank you all! I was thinking it was a bit selfish to leave without working my notice but knowing other people see my point settles my mind a lot!

[Chickychickydodah]

I’d quit, they have to pay you up to the day you left .

[TarquinLikesPlaygroup]

Bugger wrong thread !

[SirGawain]

If you just walked out there’s not a lot they could do apart from dock your pay and bearing in mind you could start a new job straight away you may not be much worse off.

[AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair]

Both managers sound a bit unusual in their attitude to employment contracts

Were the extras the old manager gave written into your contracts? Did you agree to them being taken away

A strange way to run a business imo, what sector is it in out of interest?

[TSSDNCOP]

They are not in breach of contract if ex-manager was giving discretionary add-ons without a formal contract variation. It depends how long that's been going on though.

[TSSDNCOP]

If you have a new job, resign on the day after pay day with immediate effect.

They may state that in a reference, but pre-empt that by advising your new employer abs give your previous manager as alternate professional referee plus a third as character reference.

The owner sounds a bit bonkers but maybe he's got the new manager in to get rid of people without paying redundancy. High risk strategy, especially as the ex-manager has put things in place that have become customary, but it's clearly working.