How Much Notice Am I Required to Give?

Notice periods vary within the work force and everyone has a different understanding of what the ‘right’ thing is to do and what the legal requirements are. As a temp, you are not required to give any notice and nor is your employer. As a temp consultant, this issue is something I deal with on a weekly basis. How much notice should you really give your employer if you’re on a temp assignment?

The answer is not always simple, however the first thing to do would be advising your recruitment consultant (ie your employer). If you are a temporary employee and for whatever the reason you need to leave your temporary assignment, the best thing to do is speak with your recruitment consultant. After all, we are here to help and it allow us some time to source a replacement, if required by the hiring manager. We need to understand why you are leaving and we are much more likely to be able to assist you find employment with another organisation if required. Recently, I had a temp leave her assignment and it was very unfortunate in the manner in which this was undertaken.

On the morning of ‘Jane’ leaving her assignment, I received a phone call from a distressed hiring manager, advising me that ‘Jane’ had “up and left” the office, sending a companywide email complaining about the company, the hiring manager and how she had “hated” working with there. As a result of ‘Jane’ not only leaving, but the manner in which she left, I had to reassure the hiring manager, that we would rectify the issue by finding a suitable replacement, apologise profusely for ‘Jane’s’ behaviour and the damage she created within the company and also to advise ‘Jane’ that people2people would not and could not, work with her again.

If ‘Jane’ had followed just some of my aforementioned advice, we may have been able to place her elsewhere. It would have given us the opportunity to explain to the hiring manager why or how the problems were affecting Jane and the measures to resolve them. I have previously been a ‘temp’ and I know, that sometimes you do secure other opportunities or have a genuine need to leave your assignment.

Just please, keep us in the loop! As a postscript, I have since replaced this temp with an amazing candidate who is being considered on a permanent basis. However ‘Jane’, because of her actions, could have very easily ruined our new working relationship with the hiring manager.