Quitting work right now and not doing notice...

[DependencyInjection]

Hi all thoughs and advice would be appriciated.

I'm quitting work right now not working notice period, we've been screwed over for childcare, can't get full time places for DD1&2(6,3) from Monday onwards. DW earns more than me and really enjoys her job, so the right call is for me to be a sahd (hey, we're modern, progressive, politically correct nuclear family, so big up for DW).

My perspective: Employment contracts are not worth the paper they are printed on. I finish my probationary period Tuesday anyway. Frankly, I cannot see in a real world situation - bar a bit of griping on their part - what realistically I could be penalised with as family comes first.

So what are peoples thoughs, advice and experiences?

Ta in advance

After an afternoon of thinking about it, my options are pretty limited. Monday I'll drop DD1 off at school, go into work with DD2 and explain the situation. Leave HR etc to make a decision. All in all DD1 will have to be collected at 3:15.
So who should it be then ?me or DW who has to quit? Her career is on the up, she's doing well and has some excellent opportunities in front of her. How should it be resolved?
For the flamewarriors (pooka,gumby,sealthpolarbear,billbrysonsrucksack et al) I haven't treated my employers with any distain as this was an initial post to get it clear in my head, plus I've had an afternoon looking after the kids and the last three days trying to sort out something for my kids, to no avail, everywhere has long waiting lists for after schoolers.
So, explain to me how a pair of working parents are supposed to look after their children with no extrainous family and virtually no childcare options?

can i throw in the fact you will probably be leaving your colleagues with extra work until they can get someone else too..that's what the notice period is for.

And no, people who disagree with you are not "flamewarriors".

but i see you will talk to your employer first, which I think is the right thing to do.

Have you tried the nanny agencies for a temp?

this has nothing to do with which parent gives up work and everything to do with their attitude to it. If you come across in RL like you have here then you won't get help. Why haven't you rung your workplace yet and explained the situation? Your OP was 4.5 hours before close of business...

You've had a negative reaction to your own stroppy post. It's not even close to a flaming!

Oh and the word you were looking for is "extraneous", I suggest you check the definition with a dictionary before use.

no one is suggeting your wife stops work - can you please point out where anyone has said that?

Off the top of my head one of the suggestions was that you ask for parental leave. There. There's a suggestion. Now unless my grasp of English has gone severely downhill in the last day or so there is absolutely no mention of your wife quitting work. Are you reading the same posts as me?

Notice periods are not enforceable, could you need them as a reference in future though?

Ha! at "flame warrior".

Blimey you're fond of exaggeration op.

You've had several really quite sensible suggestions with regards to how you may be able to work out your notice without being in breach of contract. That was kind of what your op was about - nothing to to with the initial query or any of us who gives up work or whether your dw should quit. Honestly - bit of an interpretive leap there.

Dear me - if I was the OP's manager I would be delighted to hear he was leaving and never coming back. Blessed relief!

What NL said. Chippy and entitled is how you're coming across OP.

Have you called the local council for a list of childcare providers?

You can get an au pair or a nanny very quickly. Au pair will only cost you 60 quid a week and a spare room.

Post which town you live in - some of us might be able to help or suggest something -

You seem - reading between the lines - mightily pissed off that you're giving up work to look after the kids

How long is notice period?

Are you sure that you have exhausted every childcare avenue?

Can you not each take leave until you can get them in somewhere.

SauvignonBlanche - If an employee does not work their notice period and the employer incurs extra costs or loses business as a result the employer can sue for damages. In general it isn't worth the hassle for them to do so but it does happen sometimes.

DependencyInjection - talk to your employer on the phone. Simple as that. Ask for unpaid leave or to take your holiday until you can get an alternative arrangement sorted out. Put it in writing afterwards so it is on record.

No sensible employer would think that unreasonable and if they do well they can dismiss you and no loss to you anyway.

have you looked into a childminder? could there be one hidden that youve not found?

How did you get on today DependencyInjection? The one thing I didn't understand from your post is why either of you had to quit their job because of a temporary childcare issue. As plenty of PP's have said, unpaid or parental leave would seem the most sensible option.

If I was your manager I would have told you to take a couple of weeks (unpaid if no leave owing) and go sort some childcare. Childminder? Au pair? Nanny from an agency? Nursery in the next village until a local place becomes free? Think creatively.

Talk to other parents, or more importantly the childminders, when you drop off\pick up your DC, often places are found through word of mouth.

I know of several people who have not worked their notice period without any problem - myself included.

I politely requested that I be put on unpaid leave as I really didn't want to/couldn't work it, and they did so without any problem. Much better than falling out over it.

Perhaps that is something you would consider, OP?

I think some really good suggestions have been made here - perhaps we shall have to content ourselves with the fact that the OP seems much much happier to be a martyr rather than ask a sensible question and discuss some possible sensible solutions.

Op you are a big old DRAMA QUEEN