Never signed a contract for my job. Do I need to give notice?

jobbend

It depends on where you live. If you are in the US and working in a "employee at will" position (which most are) then legally you do not need to give notice. If this is the case, then you owe the company nothing, and they owe you nothing other than your earned wages and most likely earned benefits. That said, it's ALWAYS best to take the high road and give a professional two weeks notice. When you give your notice, let them know that you would prefer to leave sooner if at all possible.

Consider: You leave this position and the HR person (and/or your boss) who is managing this process for you suddenly becomes the HR person or boss at your new company. Do you really want them wondering when you are going to walk on them again? Probably not.

wendyek

The Employment Act 2002 states that an employer must provide "particulars of employment" to an employee within four weeks of him / her starting work. This is to protect the employee only! It is not the same as a contract of employment. As an employer, you discharge your obligations by providing the particulars but you get nothing back in return. The reason why most employers use a "contract" is to obtain the agreement of the employee to comply with all the items contained in it, which regulate the employment or protect the employer. Both employer and employee are bound by the terms offered and accepted.

Often the employment contract is verbally agreed and not written down. Even if there is no written employment contract, an oral contract of employment exists as soon as an employee starts work.

Was notice mentioned during your interview or in your letter or employment?

I would give one weeks notice, it will be better than just walking out. Will not look great on your CV when applying for future jobs and most new employees may require a reference from your last job.

Good luck.

tigglys

It is professional courtesy to give two weeks - and depending on the company, you might not be eligible for rehire if you don't give it - but there usually are no legal reasons to force you give notice.

belligerent assistant

Most jobs regardless of signed contract, still require the professional courtesy of you giving notice.

Regardless of the contract or not, chances are the ppl you work with have mouths that can open & move & talk about you to others in your field.

That can come back to bite you if you work at another place, so I'd give notice regardless.

It doesn't sound like you have another job to take off to--so the worst thing that happens in the 2 wks, that you give notice is that they lay you off.

just keep your mouth shut for 2 more wks, get another pay cheque, and stay under the radar.

Then move on & ce la vie! life goes on!

In the UK a contract was formed the minute you started working for your employer - the contract doesn't have to be in writing.

You should however be given a written statement of particulars of employment within 8 weeks of starting work, and this would confirm your notice period.

By law you must give your employer 1 week's notice if you have worked for them for a month or more.

thecubeisfun

you dont have to give notice and it does vary from job to job. If you want to give notice give them a week.

Yes you do need to give a MINIMUM of 4 weeks notice in WRITING - if you leave before then the company can keep all the money owed to you since the last pay day, demand money back from you AND sue you for breach of contract. Under UK Employment Law as soon as you accept a job, regardless of a written contract, you are bound by the company rules.

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