HR
professionals believe that statutory notice periods are too short, according to
a new survey.
Current
statutory requirements call for employers to give an employee at least one
week’s notice if the employee has been employed by the employer continuously
for one month, rising to at least two weeks’ notice if the employee has given
two years’ service.
The
survey, carried out by Croner consulting, found 38 per cent of respondents
thought four to eight weeks would be more appropriate, and 36 per cent believed
two to four weeks was the right length of notice to serve.
Only
12 per cent of those surveyed via Croner’s web centre felt that notice periods
should be less than two weeks, while a further 12 per cent said eight to twelve
weeks was the right amount of time.
A
period of more than three months was favoured by the remaining 2 per cent.
Peter
Etherington, employment law expert at Croner, advised that after notice is
given, both parties should sit down and agree how the departure is to be
handled with colleagues and customers, and then stick to what has been agreed.
“Failure
to do this could lead to an awkward and swiftly deteriorating workplace
situation, or even leave either party facing serious employment law problems,”
he said.
