To be shocked at treatment following resignation?

[Username1233]

For a bit of background info, I’m based within financial services and secured a job last July (subject to me paying for, and passing my necessary exams - to formally start in October). Completed all of this, and quickly realised that this company is perhaps “not for me”.

I was approached via a much more supportive financial institution a few months ago with a great job offer. I have been mulling it over, and on Monday decided to accept. This is where everything went wrong!

I work from an external office on my own, so called my manager (company owner was away with work) on the Monday. Verbally gave my notice (followed up in an email), promised I would do as much as I can throughout August to make the process as easy as possible for everyone. Manager told me to keep this between ourselves, and he will speak with company owner and let me know next steps.

On Tuesday I’m working as normal, when suddenly I’m locked out of everything! Tried to call manager - no response. Tried to call IT - they hung up on me! Then had a call from an employee to tell me to come to the main office straight away to hand back all equipment.

Hand it back (no management to be seen), and told they will pay me for 1 week and that’s it! A few calls on my part to ACAS, I am now being paid my full 4 weeks as given, but on garden leave.

AIBU to be absolutely miffed how this whole situation has panned out? Is this normal for financial services? No goodbyes, no calls from management, no exit meeting, nothing! I am still in utter disbelief at the way this has been handled. I was told by above employee that the company owner is extremely cross with me, and feels I have used them for my own progression.

I know I shouldn’t care, but I do! I wanted to leave on good terms and feel disappointed that the company think this way of me!

Gardening leave (and being locked out of all systems instantly) is fairly common, overwhelmingly so in many areas of business like financial services.

But there was far more to it than that and your treatment was very poor. Your manager handled things badly and the lack of an exit interview and personable contact from him is very poor. The attempt to short you on your notice was shockingly bad. And the owner telling you you used them to progress is an egotistical idiot. Of course you were using them to progress your career. And he was using you to make money. That's how business works!

You are well out of there. Good work on the call to ACAS and not accepting the week's notice or panicking. Enjoy your month off.

If they've terminated your contract and you'd rather earn more money than have a month off, you could try seeing if your new employer would like you to start earlier.

But I'd find a month of paid time off in August very hard to resist!

Meh… it’s not nice but at least you get August to enjoy and paid for.

Devil's Advocate: They probably see it as having waited for you to get your qualifications, training you up in the role etc, only for you to jump ship (to a competitor?) after just a few months. Now they have to start the process again.

It also looks bad for them as a company to have staff jumping ship. It often leads to more people wanting to see if the grass is greener.

I can see why they'd be peeved, but it's still petty.

And if they have an issue people leaving to work with a competitor, they should have no-compete clauses. I have a six-month no-compete that prevents me from working with any of a handful of named competitors.

That sounds like an excellent deal for you.

I had exactly the same thing happen, working for an investment fund. No warning and locked out.

In hindsight I got the summer off which was lovely and it was a sign that I'd escaped a place which wasn't right for me, but it felt shit at the time.

I work in finance (UK) and you don’t even get to go back to your own desk. You’re escorted from the building, and HR collect your things which are sent to you.

This is standard for us.

Sounds bloody great to me! Enjoy the summer and out this out of your head. This place was ‘not for you’ and they’ve shown you why. Don’t give it another thought!

Yes. It’s amazing.

Op, enjoy your time off and best of luck in your new role.

I had a similar experience in a different industry. I'd been there 2 years or so, and there had been substantial changes to the company which I was deeply unhappy about so I looked for a new job, and handed in my notice. They locked me out of the systems within 30 minutes, and I got a 5 minute phone call from the team leader who was the reason for me leaving, telling me I was on gardening leave for the duration of my notice period, and to send back all my equipment. Not even a 'thanks for all you've done' or 'good luck for the future.'

I'd worked hard for that company, been instrumental in building the company culture, and thought I was a highly valued member of the team. In reality I was being naive. They didn't give a shit about the work I'd done, they were mad that I was going to a better job, and they were worried I was going to cause others to do the same.

Ironically six months later I heard they sacked that Team Leader because they lost so many people due to his management style.

Depends, not all are escorted straight out. One financial company has an entire legal department working on NDAs for those exiting. Tbf this also relies on a bunch of other stuff happening prior to exit 😬

To be honest enjoy your August holiday fully paid.. more fool them for not having any kind of handover, they are going to have to work it out for themselves

Well done and Congratulations. Onwards and upwards 😁

Gardening leave is normal in certain sector, but they could have communicated it in a better way!! At least you get paid and have a month off! Enjoy!

I work in this industry and depending on your role that's a normal procedure.

Everyone I knew who resigned and would be cut off immediately knew it and basically cleared out their desks the days before handing in the notice and then just gave the letter, handed over laptop and phone and left the building.

Dismissal - that's when your boss or HR stands next to you while you empty your desk and you are escorted out of the building.

As others have said, there's the potential to do harm - no matter how trusted the employee.
I was accompanied to my desk, watched while I removed all personal belongings, & escorted from the building.
However, management did arrange a leaving gift & small party at the end of my gardening leave !

4 weeks paid time and no work, enjoy. F them. Yes some companies do work this way

In my experience, it’s pretty normal for the financial services industry. I’ve known people not even allowed to return to their desk to collect their bag and coat - security gets them. It’s not the way things are done in most other sectors so if this is your first experience of it I can understand why it would be disconcerting.

The cutting of access and immediate gardening leave is fair enough for financial services. Managers can be just rubbish particularly if you’re home based or in different offices.

However the lack of instruction and communication is unusual and I wonder if you’ve fallen through the cracks. Is it a big Fs firm?

Did you get a letter outlining

• Pay arrangements for notice
• Holiday pay
• Tax information, eg P45/P11 etc.
• Access to pension.

Something feels quite off here as it sounds like they deviated from the script.

Very common in financial services to be immediately escorted out of the building by security and put on gardening leave. One of the perks of my husbands work - he gets 2/3 months gardening leave in between job changes. In fact when my husband was last ready to hand in his notice, we booked a holiday for the following day, ready to jet off as soon as he handed in his notice!

Don't take it personally and enjoy your month off.

I think in FS it's not uncommon. You could potentially steal info or clients or somehow sabotage the company in order to benefit yourself or your new employer. The information you have access to is often too sensitive and valuable for them to take a risk.

Also they fear you spreading bad feeling among other staff if you stay on, as they'll know you're leaving and be asking why. And possibly you could try and poach them for your new job/company.

I was told by above employee that the company owner is extremely cross with me, and feels I have used them for my own progression.

Please. Owner didn't pay for your exams or give you the time off to take them. You used your own money and time to progress your own career, and you have every right to now take your hard earned qualifications to someplace that will value your hard work.

Enjoy the rest of August. I'd book a last minute holiday if at all possible!

Petty and pathetic on the main managers part. I haven't ever worked for financial services so don't know if you have to go straight away, but this should have been communicated properly. As for them feeling cross or pissed off with you, tough luck. That's capitalism; most of the time it works in their favour, tough shit that it has worked in your favour this time! Good luck in your new job, sounds like you definitely made the right move!

When the owner is very close to the company day to day affairs , everything becomes personal. My observation

recently someone I know did not invite a line manager to a christening and .....a whole war began