I am currently on maternity leave and have just been offered a job with the civil service. They have advised me not to hand in notice until after vetting and that it could take 2-3 months, although I have read it can take much, much longer. My maternity leave is due to end in December and my notice period is 8 weeks. So if the vetting was done by December, I'd still have to work for my current employer for another 2 months.
Thing is, I really really don't want to return to my current workplace. The people in my immediate team are great, everything else is awful. They have now asked me to attend the office for some KIT days. I had previously agreed to do some in person KIT days but that was before I knew I'll have something new lined up. Travelling to the office costs me a significant amount of money (I work remotely, so I'm not local) and I just cba now knowing that it's basically for nothing. I'm toying with the idea of just handing in my notice and risking it because I can afford to be unemployed for over a year. Not that I'd want to be and blow through my savings. The new job is obviously not firm until I've gone through vetting and I do worry what I'd do if the offer falls through for whatever reason.
What would you do?
Option A: Stay quiet and pay to attend the KIT days for the security of knowing I'd have a job to go back to should the new one not work out. I know I need to look out for myself first but I also feel like I'm messing them about. I work with a wonderful, tiny team and they're counting on my return.
Option B: Risk it and hand in my notice. I can afford to do it but I hate the idea of being unemployed and dipping into my savings, which I'd rather use for other things.
Maybe important to say that I only got statutory and don't need to pay anything back if I don't return.