We’ve all fantasised about walking out on dreadful bosses and nasty workmates, pondering what might unfold if we simply vanished after a heated exchange with management.
In your wildest daydreams, you might phone them to express precisely where they can stick their position and never return – yet upon reflection, countless individuals fret that firms will drag them through the courts for financial losses. So what would genuinely occur in such circumstances?
Fortunately, some specialists have offered their insights on this matter.
Shawthorpe recruitment shared a clip on TikTok which was captioned: “Exactly what happens when you quit without giving notice, legally, financially, and what your boss can and cannot do.”
The expert clarified that numerous individuals believe they risk being “sued, arrested, blacklisted from work forever” if they resign without warning. But this simply isn’t true, nor “how employment law works”.
Nevertheless, “there are consequences,” and “depending on your contract, can be big”.
So here’s what you ought to consider if submitting your resignation.
How much notice must you provide employers?
This obligation varies between positions – as everything hinges on the agreement you signed upon accepting the role.
She clarified: “Your contract is everything. If your contract says you must give one week, two weeks, or even a month, that’s the notice you agreed to.
“So if you give less, or none at all, technically you’re breaking your contract. But here’s the twist. Breaking your contract doesn’t mean your employer can just do whatever they want.”
What happens if you quit without giving notice:
Firstly, employers can “refuse to pay you for the notice you didn’t work”. This is logical since you failed to complete your notice period.
Additionally, they can “try to claim financial losses”. Nevertheless, that’s “rare” because they “need to prove real financial damage” and not merely some “inconvenience”.
The expert maintains most firms “won’t even attempt this because it’s expensive and hard to win”. Furthermore, employers can mark you as “not eligible for re-hire internally but not publicly”.
Fortunately, they cannot “go around telling other employers you’re blacklisted”.
The recruitment specialist added: “Your boss cannot withhold pay for hours you’ve already worked, keep your holiday pay that you’ve legally accrued, deduct random money as punishment, threaten your immigration status, or call your new employer to sabotage you.”
Should any of the above occur, “you might have a stronger case against them than they have against you”.
What is constructive dismissal?
You are “legally allowed to walk out of the workplace if it’s unsafe, you’re being harassed, bullied or discriminated against, they’ve breached the contract first, they haven’t been paying you properly, and they’ve made working conditions unbearable”. This is referred to as “constructive dismissal” and you “could be entitled to compensation” for this.
She advised: “If you want to quit without notice but don’t want drama, say this, ‘I’m resigning with immediate effect due to X, Y, Z reason. Please confirm my final pay and accrued holiday’. This keeps it short, clean, and legal”.
For more guidance on leaving your job, visit the Citizens Advice website for additional information.