Should I resign from my job with just a verbal offer

[ThatLilacHedgehog]

I have just got a job at M&S and the manager rang me to say I got the job this morning, I should get an email in a couple of days. The store manager said he would like if I could resign right away so I can start sooner. Should I resign from my current job without any email or written confirmation?

No wait for the ts and cs and a firm offer. A few days won't make a difference.

I risked resigning from my last job before I had the contract in my grubby little hands, but it was a calculated risk. I badly needed out of that job and I had a firm offer from the new place.

Having the contract or at the very least a written summary of the offer doesn't prevent the company from pulling the offer, but it does significantly lower the chances that things will fall through. And until you have the contract, you don't know for sure what you're agreeing to. So it comes down to how willing you are to take the risk that you'll resign and then the new offer will fall through. I certainly wouldn't take more risk on myself just so the new job could have me start sooner for their convenience.

Absolutely not. The sooner M&S provide your written offer, the sooner you can resign from your current job - timescale is down to them.

This

Absolutely not. If they want you earlier, they'd better get that contact over ASAP.

Definitely not. Get it in writing. Alarm bells would be ringing if a potential employer told me to resign from current job straight away without a written offer.

Absolutely not, tell them to put it in writing straight away then.

Didn't you reply with, yes no problem I'll do that as soon as I have my offer in writing?

No. If he's that keen for you to start he can hurry the paperwork through. ' No problem - I will resign as soon as I get my contract'.

^^ this. 100%

Ask the new manager to at least send you an email if the offer so you have it in writing. Contracts can often take ages to process but they can at least say "we'd like to offer you the job, contract to follow" in an email

Absolutely not.

No way.
If they want you to resign they need to send the contract and you sign it first.

You'll probably get the letter on Monday when the HR dept are back in, a day or two will make minimal difference to your new role.
If he is really keen, and you don't have other commitments you could offer to start earlier on weekend shifts / evenings until you finish your other role. But only if it wouldn't negatively impact your home life.

Depends: Did you get the job because you told the manager you knew which type of chips to have with steak, or whatever it was?

No really: I'd never resign the current job until you have it in writing. There's too much possibilities for it to go wrong. What if the contract arrives and you don't like the look of something in it? They've put you down for shifts you didn't want, or the pay is less than they said. You're then caught between having resigned and job and accepted one you don't want.

You'd be daft to resign without something in writing.

Only if you’re ok with ending up unemployed when the contract falls through

No. I once had a job offer pulled between verbal offer and receiving the paperwork, because they had a company-wide headcount freeze imposed, and any offer that didn't yet have a signed contract was rescinded.

I was unemployed at the time, so I just had to keep looking, but I was very glad I hadn't quit a job to end up with none.

Under no circumstances. The manager was entirely unreasonable to ask.

No. If she wants you to start earlier, she can put some effort in and get you a written offer more quickly.

Of course you shouldn’t resign. Presumably, you gave them your notice period information when you went for the interview and they agreed to it. It’s up to them to expedite your contract. Any verbal offer is typically subject to checks and references so can very easily fall through.

No way. A company verbally offered DH a job and kept asking him to resign so he could start sooner. He held firm and refused without a contract. They kept saying x person was away etc but the job was definitely his and stalling but still asking him to resign. The contract never arrived and after 3 weeks they basically ghosted him.

Yes, this happened in my workplace at the start of COVID as well. Chances may be low but it can happen.

No, wait for the contract in writing.