To think employer can’t change my notice period without telling me...

[Somegirlsarebiggerthanother]

I began employment 5 years ago with the company. My contract states one month notice. We were tuped last year, the documents and the staff handbook state that notice period is “as per your original contract”

ive not changed roles within the company in the last 5 years. A number of new staff have joined since with the same job title: but with 3 months notice period.

From what I hear, they have all started on a higher salary than I’m on. The market rate for the role has increased, but those who stay with the same company don’t see much of an increase in salary. Nothing new under the sun. But, it’s made me want to start looking at other roles

Having a chat with my line manager and the subject of notice periods came up. I mentioned mine was 1 month. He said that hes sure it is 3 months: even if my original contract said 1 month.

ive never been provided with any documentation to state that my notice period has changed to 3 months (and I wouldn’t sign the document anyway, unless my salary was uplifted to match my peers)

can an employer actually change the notice period without telling me?

I had an employer who did this to me (but 6 weeks), I wouldn’t do it for 3 months, that’s ridiculous and you’ll find it hard to get a new job as most employers won’t want to wait three months for you.

Did they tell you in advance, or just when you handed your notice in?

3 months is very common for my role and level in the company:

Na tough luck, your contract stands here

@NapInTheSun so, I should be ok to just give 1 months notice? That’s what I was thinking

Yes to one month

tupee means you keep your current teens and conditions ie one month

new staff will be recruited on new and different terms

totally different rules

Whatever your contract says, unless when you were tuped across they changed your t’s &c’s but they have to follow the correct procedure to do that.

speak to you union (assuming you’re in one) and HR to confirm. If you have your original tupe paperwork it should confirm at the point you were tuped, they could have changed it subsequently

They asked my permission and I reluctantly agreed, I had to sign a new contract, they didn’t do it without my permission.

Nope! Imagine if our employers changed our contracts as and when they liked. What would be the point of a signed contract.

@ilyx see, I’ve never been asked to sign anything, or even told that they have changed my notice period. Which makes me think that the contract of one months notice still stands

If you’re sure that you didn’t sign anything different when you were tuped then you are right and manager is wrong.

You also might have an equal pay claim if people doing exactly the same job as you are being paid more

@ilyx 3 months is very common in a lot of roles / companies and waiting 3 months for someone is pretty normal.

OP - tbh even if your notice was 3 months there’s not much they can (or would bother to do) if you left after less, except give a poor reference.

But if you haven’t signed anything new then your original contract stands - unless they issued a new one and you’ve seen it but not signed it, sometimes there’s a clause that says after x amount of time the new contract stands unless disputed.

I had to sign an amendment to my contract when they realised they'd mistakenly put me on 4 weeks notice. Unless this has been agreed and signed by you; your original contract stands.

Just a thought, have you had no amendments to your contract in 5 years? Just thinking post covid a lot of contracts changed to include wfh...

Yes they need to tell you but I had my notice period changed when I worked for the nhs. They just had to give us 30 days notice.

I had similar. Start up company with vague- older contracts. I gave 1mth notice- as per my contract. They hadn't updated me and anyone after was on 3mths. I was SO glad to get out of there 😁

If you are expected to work the longer notice period, then surely you would be getting the higher wage too? It may be a HR oversight to not give you a new contract but that is not your problem. Give the month notice and enjoy the new job when it comes.

To everyone correcting me on the three months issue ok I get it! It’s just not common in my experience.

I had an employer try this with me. They were not amused when I stuck to the one month per contract.

3 months is standard, some roles in my area it is 6 months.

If it was under TUPE then your original contract stands. They sent me a new contract after the transfer as the name of the company changed and they had altered some of the terms eg Working time directive opt out. I sent it back and told them they had to reinstate the original terms which they did.

Your notice period is what your original contract says unless you’ve subsequently agreed a change.