Can't leave notice in until boss returns in 3 weeks?

[Watdidusay]

I've been offered a new job. My notice period is 3 months. The new company has just sent the contract through so I tried to leave my notice in today with HR. However, my manager has gone on a long period of annual leave a few days ago. HR have said they need to wait until I have spoken to my manager before they can accept the notice.

He's not back until the last week of August. What should I do? Should I just accept that I'm stuck and explain to the new company? I'm worried they won't want to wait.

Well trim to your line manager's line manager, or Head of Dept.

Resign! Not "trim"!

This is all you need to do, @Watdidusay.

My manager is c-level so there's no one else below CEO and the CEO is extremely odd and doesn't engage with employees in a normal way so I would like to avoid this.

Not hard to see why you're leaving. Congratulations on the new job and the massive pay rise!

@Watdidusay it’s a) incredibly rare for employers to come after employees who don’t work their notice periods (they have to demonstrate loss and for that loss to be worth risking court), and b) if you’ve told HR you’re leaving and worked for three months after that, they don’t have a leg to stand on.

I’d suggest responding to HR clarifying that regardless you consider notice served on X date (when you first told them) and therefore the last working day will be Y.

Congrats on the new job!