You Decide to Leave: Giving Notice

If you decide to leave your job as a PA, you will most likely need to give notice to your employer.

Your contract should say how much notice you must give.

If it does not, and you have worked for your employer for less than a month, legally you do not have to give notice.

If you have worked for your employer for at least 1 month, you should give at least 1 week’s notice unless you are entitled to resign without notice. 

When the notice period starts

It’s a good idea to check your employment contract as it might say when the notice period starts.

If your employment contract does not say when the notice period starts, your notice period starts when:  

• You tell your employer in person that you’re resigning
• Your employer tells you in person that you’re being dismissed or made redundant
• Giving notice face-to-face takes effect immediately (unless a letter confirming the notice in writing needs to be provided if the contract requires it – in which case notice starts to run from the date of the letter).

When you may not be required to work your notice

When you give your notice, you will usually carry on working for your employer until the notice period is up.

There are some circumstances where you may not need to do this.

These are:

• You ask to leave during your notice period, and your employee agrees this in writing. If you do this, your employer only has to pay you for the time you’ve worked.
• Your employer offers you payment in lieu of notice (PILON). They cannot force you to agree to this if it is not in your contract.
• Your employer offers you ‘garden leave’. They cannot force you to agree to this if it is not in your contract.

Next steps

Take a look at the article ‘Checking Your Employment Rights’ below for more information.