question about contracts (Flowerybeanbag - please if you're around?)

[PeridotPelican]

Hi all

Have been verbally offered (and have verbally accepted) a job. BUt how long, approx, should it take for a written offer/contract to filter through? Job offer acceptance was nearly two weeks ago, so what's reasonable as a timescale for this?

Flowery, if you're around, I know you're the guru of all things employment, and would love to know what you think is normal - or anyone else with experience with this kind of thing??

Thanks!

When are you due to start? Sometimes they hand over these things then. I must admit in my last job, they offered it to me then i had to go in to sign the paperwotk and started 2 days later.

Hi Portofino - am starting in Jan.

but mainly I'm just wary of making plans until I have something on paper - havevarious things to sort out befpre starting job!

I don't think it would be unreasonable of you to ring HR and ask when you need to come it and sort out the paperwork....because obviously you are looking forward to starting with them.....

cheers Porto - I'll do that if nothing turns up this week. (Have to ring rather than pop in as the HR office is some way away from where I live at the moment.)

Partly it's like I can hardly believe that I've really got the job until I see something on paper, you know?! Mild paranoia out it all actually happening is starting to set in!

grrrr, I mean about it happening

2 weeks seems quite long to me, but it depends on the organisation. Sometimes it might be the manager being slow about notifying HR about the details of the offer, or HR being slow. In some organisations there is a lengthy bureaucratic process to go through to generate an offer letter.

Give them a ring and ask when you can expect to see your offer. January isn't that far away and if (for example) you have to give a month's notice to a current employer, they are on the verge of cutting it fine.

Hooray for Flowery! Thanks very much for dropping in to answer this - guess I'll see whether anything turns up in the post tomorrow and then chase up a little if there's nothing in the post.

I'd drop them a line and say you cant hand in your notice until you've received the written contract, so you are just letting them know they need to send it asap to maintain the agreed start date.

PP, we have a similar cock-up scenario running atm. we verbally offered the post, HR bod went on hol for a week and so did I, thus best part fo a fortnight before said paperwork got dealt with. Also for a 5th Jan start.
Would also agree that you wait for something on paper before doing anything - but if you have the phone number for the line manager / person who offered you the job, or their HR department, then get in touch and see why it is all taking so long?

that'll teach me to try and be witty, when i can't even manage a strikethrough

Thanks to you two as well.
I'm not getting anywhere with this at the moment: tried to phone today (nothing in the post) and no answer at HR.
Will try again tomorrow morning however!