How do I hand in my notice?

[asblackasyoursoul]

Hi all, to sum up I’ve not had to hand in a notice in many years and I’m not sure of the right etiquette.

•I’m not back at work until Friday. Can I email my notice today to my boss or should it really be in person, on paper?
•Do I have to work the notice period, which I think is a month? I’m NHS Band 5 and don’t think I’ve ever even seen my contract.
•How do I word the notice? (I can Google about this one but just on the off chance anyone wanted to help!)

Thank you for any help!

I think email is fine.

Are you sure it’s a month? If you Google ‘Notice period X hospital’ it should tell you. Birmingham for example is two months for band 5-6.
They can sue you if you don’t work your whole notice. They may not but if they want to prove a point, and stop others not working notice too, they may.
There’s a bit here on failure to give required notice.
www.rcn.org.uk/Get-Help/RCN-advice/notice

Hi, thanks for your reply. I’ve just found out I think it definitely is a month. I’m in Scotland where I think the notice periods are a bit less, I have a friend who’s recently switched jobs in the same hospital and she said it was a month too.

If I were to hand in my notice today, does that mean my last working day would be December 16th?
However I’m actually on days off/annual leave that week. My last working day before the 16th December is the 8th, then I’m on days off etc.
So would I say my last working day is December 8th, or December 16th?

Sorry to be so confusing and thank you to anyone who is reading this!

I would say something like
Dear Manager
Any nicety you would usually say like “Hope you are well, whatever depending on how well you know them.
Please take this email as my 1 months notice, making my last working day xx. As you know I have holiday booked on these dates xx and xx so my last day in work will be xx. I will ensure a full handover by this date.
Then if you like them say something about thanks for all the help etc etc.

Its nicer to do in person and follow up in writing but if you are time pressured to start the new role then send via email.

And copy your email into HR who will then be able to check if you have any other accrued holiday or TOIL or other days due.

The pps example is good. Depending on how much of your annual leave you've used though you might either have more leave to use or might not have accrued enough to take all the leave you've got off, so I would just say something like "please accept this as my one month's notice from today's date, however please be aware that I have some leave booked before then/for my final week."

The purpose of the notice is just to tell them when your contract with the employer ends, they can work out what your last working day will be after that and discuss it with you when you're in next and hr have confirmed how much you've accrued.

@tealandteal Thank you, that's great advice. I think I actually will wait to see my manager in person on Friday to tell him, as it makes no difference to my 4 weeks notice. I was Googling and it's seen as bad form to just email without having the conversation first apparently, so fair enough.

@viques and @latetothefisting , it's just two days leave I have booked in that week, with days off before/after. I believe I still have about 50 hours of AL to use. Does this mean I will get paid for that unused AL, or something different?
Thanks!

I've also just thought of something else. The new job said their HR would start the process. Does this mean my charge nurse is likely to be contacted today/tomorrow to ask for my reference. It'd be a bit awkward if he was contacted before I'd had a chance to hand in my notice!
Sorry if this seems silly, I'm just not sure how it all works.

HR will work out when your last working day will be. If you are owed time/ holiday they will probably ask you to take it rather than pay you so your last working day could be sooner than you think!

I'd advise against giving your notice until your new job has completed all their checks and has formally offered you the post in writing.

Recruitment takes forever and you could end up finishing one before starting the other, giving you a break in service (and no pay). Equally the new job might actually disappear in funding cuts.

I used to be a senior nhs manager. I've seen it all.

You could inform your manager you've been offered another job though, verbally. Just don't resign yet

@viques , I did notice someone else I worked with who left recently was able to take AL in her last week rather than working it, I wouldn't say no to that!

@lipstickwoman thank you, that's a good point about waiting until I am given a written offer. Do you know if my manager is likely to be contacted today/tomorrow for a reference? I'm not sure what the etiquette is, I wouldn't want him to be asked for a reference before I'd handed in the notice! Because then he'd know I was applying for another job without having been told by me.

Don't assume that HR will calculate your last day correctly and don't be too shy to correct them, or at least clarify with them that you have a different understanding.

Id speak to your manager and tell her you've been successful at interview and will be giving your notice when you have a formal offer.

They won't be able to advertise your post until they receive your notice (unless things have changed) but will appreciate the info for planning

Thanks for the advice guys. Does anyone know how long it should take for me to receive the formal offer? I’d have assumed this would be by email?
I was offered the job verbally yesterday but nothing official today so far. I want to hand in my notice tomorrow but not sure if this is a good idea since I don’t have the offer in writing?

IME it could be a couple of months. References, OH clearance and DBS all take time.

Do not give your notice before you have the formal offer in writing.

After all until you get that you don't actually have a job to go to.

When you get it, then work out time scales on notice and starting the new role.

Never give more notice than you need to, and you can opt to take unused leave at the end or be paid it. It's usually your choice and it often depends on how fast you want to/can start the new job.

Echoing the above - DONT GIVE NOTICE YET until you have offer in writing and preferably discuss start date with new employer, as once you hand your notice in you will be bound to it, and DBS and HR checks and paperwork at new job could take months especially coming up to holiday season!!!

Nothing wrong with giving your boss the heads up but would hate for you to end up with big gap by handing in notice too soon ❤️

My contact says the company reserves the right to rescind any holiday booked during notice period -as they want me there for X months to handover, not to give in notice and work a week and take 3 weeks holiday.

So watch out for that bit. (Odd days off fine )

All great advice, thank you. Will they have already asked my line manager for the reference, when they haven’t offered me the job in writing yet? This is what I’m struggling with - really want to hand in notice tomorrow but I realise I shouldn’t if I don’t have it in writing.
Surely I am likely to receive that tomorrow hopefully? Very eager to get the ball rolling.

Who knows? It'll be on a HR persons to do list. Could be today, could be in 2 weeks. No one knows.

Tell your manager you've been successful at an interview and will be handing in your notice once offered formally. Although you're under no obligation to do this it is good manners. Then just wait. Your manager will be very familiar with this scenario.

This.

Hi all, still haven’t received the offer yet. I’m pretty sure NHS do the offers by email, my current job offer came through email.
I know it’s only been 2 days but I don’t know if it’s worth emailing the recruitment team? I don’t want to seem pushy but I am just chomping at the bit to hand in my notice!

Not sure what else to tell you. You need to be patient

Just step out the back Jack, make a new plan Stan.. no need to be coy Roy..,

Generally even if you have a longer notice period it used to bé that the max you have to give is how often you're paid. So, monthly pay - 1 month, weekly - 1 week.
Xh found that after 36 years, all hé had to give was 4 weeks. So was all hé gave