Employment query re notice period

[smoothiemaker]

I work part time (about 20 hours a week) for a small company - me and one other. I've been offered a 3 % rise or a 10 % rise if I go from a one month notice period to a four month notice period. Any views?

Four months is a long time.

I've recently had a change of contract which increased it from one to three but I didn't get a payrise to tempt me.

Four months is quite long. Is it the kind of role where that would be usual? Just thinking about your next move - in some roles employers understand that candidates are likely to be on a long notice period and accept it, but if it's unusual for your role, a new employer is less likely to be prepared to hang around.

What would the impact of a 10% payrise be on your standard of living? How likely are you to want to leave soon?

I would take it as a compliment. I have people on 1 month and people on 3 month notice periods working for me. If I interview someone who has a 3 month notice period, the message that sends is "this person has valuable skills that are not easily replaced" whereas if someone has a 1 month notice period the message is "the employer considers this to be someone who is pretty generic and won't miss them too much when they move on".

It is actually pretty tough to jump through all the hoops of replacing someone in one one month - often when someone on 1-month notice leaves there's a couple of weeks gap before their replacement starts - but as they tend to be junior roles we muddle along without them. if they are asking you this they have realised that you are valuable and they wouldn't easily be able to cope without you if you take it into your head to move on.

As you are only working 20 hours a week, if you did want to move somewhere else you would have the flexibility to offer a staggered start (assuming you can find a temporary childcare solution) - "I can start 2 days a week right now and up my hours to (whatever) once my current 3-month notice period is finished."

Crikey that's strange. I would expect three months for a relatively senior role and up to six for a CEO or something.

Four months is a long time. Negotiate?!

Thanks for the comments. I think, for the job I'm doing (admin work), it's excessive but it's because it's a small company it would have a big impact if I suddenly left. I'm not intending to and the extra money would help a lot but I don't know what might happen in the future and I wonder if I might find it hard to find something else if I was on such a long notice period.

Remember notice periods usually go both ways, so you normally would expect four months's money if they decided to get rid of you. Check though, just in case they are only proposing to lengthen your side of the notice but not theirs.

Also, it is not a given that you would be able to start a new role part-time on your days off from this role, you need to check whether your contract allows it- many don't.

If they have to give you 4 months notice too, then I'd jump at it. If it's lopsided I would have pause.

Used to work in a sector where 3 months was standard, 6 months not unusual, so it might not be the impediment to moving work you think it well, but you'd know your sector better.

If you ever want to leave, you could stockpile holiday to reduce period. Plus new employer might see it for what it is- a sign that you are a valued employee and it could raise your stock with them. IME any place that is really "you must start a week Wednesday" is a bit unstable and disorganised i.e. not thehappiest place to work.

There's nothing to say an employer has to allow you to use holiday to reduce your notice period.

For an admin role, four months is very long. For a potential new employer, say their existing admin person gives a month's notice. They start the recruitment process for a replacement, and are, with luck, in a position to make an offer within a month. If the potential new employee is on a month's notice they'll have to wait another month, ie a month without admin support, which especially for a small business, who might only have one admin person, not a team, can be very difficult.

If they are waivering between offering the job to someone on a month's notice or less, or someone for whom they'll have to wait another four months, ie a total of five months with no admin support, it will be a factor in their decision, and it doesn't show them to be disorganised or unstable.

I wouldn't accept four months OP. If you want the payrise and are minded to accept, I would suggest offering three months instead.

It all depends on where you see yourself in the next few years. Four months is ball and chain around your ankle and no employer i know would accept waiting four months for someone to work their notice especially for an admin role. It seems unfair that a pay rise is being given with terms and conditions. Think about your future with the company is there any opportunities for progression ? I would get bored very quickly doing the same job for the next ten twenty years.

Thanks for responses so far. Am I right in thinking that the maximum notice he can give me is 12 weeks? In which case I think I should offer to give him the same (and no more).