Resgining without notice

General Chat
1

Hi Everyone

I have worked for a well known orange supermarket chain for a few months and due to multiple reasons (managers making me cry, the way other collegues speak to me, being complained about for driving my forklift by the book) I don’t idealy want to go back after my holiday.

I am in the process of returning to my old employer of 4 years (with the shft pattern I want this time, thats why I left along with mental health) but I am waiting on a fresh driving license and DBS check for my start date which I have requested to be ASAP.

Once this has gone through i’m likley to just hand my manager my resgination on my last shift and walk out. Said orange supermarket chain has a 4 week notice period even for people like myself in hourly positions every other job I have had it has been 1 week notice to leave.

Guessing they wont do anything as it would cost too much to sue me but thought i’d ask here if it’s ever happned to anyone.

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You’ll be fine. It’s not what you’re supposed to do but they’re also not supposed to treat you like that.

Technically they could take you to court but they have to prove financial hit without you, which they couldn’t/would t.

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I’ve done this before. Supposed to work a month (which seemed onerous for a call centre) and told them they were getting two weeks out of me.

As @Revels says they might push back and threaten action for breach of contract but it’s not really worth the effort so they’ll probably just sort it out in the end and adjust the pay to reflect the shorter notice period worked.

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This is the main part I’d be mindful of too. Check your contract and see if you forfit any monies owed for leaving earlier.

Just to state the obvious. Dont hand your notice in until you have signed the contract at your new place and have a start date confirmed

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You’ll be absolutely fine. Although in theory a breach of contract, in reality there’s nothing they can do about that.

You can’t exactly sue someone for breach of contract, you can only sue them for losses relating to that breach of contract. In cases like these, it’s established that they can’t sue you for the costs of, say, a temporary worker to cover you - they can perhaps in theory sue for the difference between your pay and a temporary workers pay if there is one, although they’d have to pay explain why they are paying the temp more than they were paying you.

In reality these kind of breach of contract claims only happen at exec level - ie CEO leaves suddenly and it hurts the company’s share price. It’s not a simple case to present at court, and courts generally look very unkindly on companies suing their employees (as does the public) so no one is stating that lawsuit for anything less than six, maybe seven figures.

So yeah, you’ll be fine :blush:

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It’s an hourly paid supermarket job - the reality is they will have forgotten about you by the next day.

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Sadly, yes.

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Just be polite, frank and clear.

I have left salaried jobs without completing full notice or have a reduced notice. I think I did 2 shifts that week that I was on the rotta, but the rest was wiped clean.

They must pay you for the shifts completed.

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I’m hourly paid, reducing pay due to this would likley break the law as the pay could easily fall below the national minimum wage.

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That’s not how it works.

They could argue that you resigning instantly caused them a financial loss and they had to pay extra to an agency or something to replace you.

BUT

I don’t mean this disrespectfully, it’s a supermarket. They’ll have already forgotten about you and someone else will have your shifts. You won’t be the first or last (probably this week) to not turn up.

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