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If you want to leave your job, check your employment contract to find out your employer鈥檚 policy on handing in notice.

There are rules about:

• giving notice
• how much you鈥檒l be paid during your notice period
• what will happen if you leave to work for a competitor

You must give at least a week鈥檚 notice if you鈥檝e been in your job for more than a month.

Your contract will tell you whether you need to give notice in writing - otherwise you can do it verbally.

Give written notice if you think you鈥檒l need to refer to it later, for example at an employment tribunal.

Your notice period usually runs from the start of the day after you handed your notice in.

If you change your mind

If you resign in the 鈥榟eat of the moment鈥� (eg during an argument) and you change your mind, you should tell your employer immediately. They can choose to accept your resignation or not.

Get free advice from Acas

Call the Acas helpline to get advice about handing in your notice and pay rights.

You鈥檙e entitled to your normal pay rate during your notice period, including when you鈥檙e:

• off sick
• on holiday
• temporarily laid off
• on maternity, paternity or adoption leave
• available to work, even if your employer has nothing for you to do

鈥楶ayment in lieu鈥� of notice period

Your employer can ask you to leave immediately after handing in your notice.

If they do, they鈥檒l probably offer you a one-off payment instead of allowing you to work out your notice period - called 鈥榩ayment in lieu鈥�.

You can only get payment in lieu if it鈥檚 in your contract, or if you agree to it. If you don鈥檛 agree to it, you can work out your notice period.

Disputes over notice pay

If you can鈥檛 resolve a dispute about notice pay with your employer informally, you can follow your company鈥檚 grievance procedures.

If this doesn鈥檛 work, you may be able to make a complaint to an employment tribunal for breach of contract.

Your employer may ask you not to come into work, or to work at home or another location during your notice period. This is called 鈥榞ardening leave鈥�.

You鈥檒l get the same pay and contractual benefits.

There may be terms in your contract that says you can鈥檛 work for a competitor or have contact with customers for a period of time after you leave the company.

These are called 鈥榬estrictive covenants鈥�.