Waiting for new Contract before handing in noitce

[Countdown]

In a couple of recent job offers that we've made the successful candidate has said that they wanted to wait until they had the formal job offer before handing their notice in at their current employer.

It wasn't a big issue from our point of view but I'm not sure what extra protection they thought they were getting from doing this. Even after an Employer offers a Contract my understanding is that it can be terminated at any time within the first two years as long as it doesn't involve protected characteristics and as long as the relevant Notice period is paid.

Am I missing something?

[softtop]

Yes, it's the only sensible way, think of it as 'the cheque is in the post'

[Mortarboard]

Because it's amazing how terms change between handshake and HR writing up the offer

Sometimes it's the candidate not hearing things correctly, sometimes it's the hiring manager over-promising.

At the very least, it's a common starting point for both parties.

M.

[anonymous-user]

softtop said:

Yes, it's the only sensible way, think of it as 'the cheque is in the post'

This.

You would be somewhat daft to resign before you had something in writing from the next employer, because occasionally that 'something in writing' never comes, or when it does, it doesn't resemble what you thought you were applying for.

[Countdown]

Ah fair enough - guess i was being a bit naive

[alock]

I was offered a job 6 months ago that I was assured by 3 people (recruiter, interviewer, and interviewer's manager) was X + 20% pension.

When the offer came through it was actually salary+20% pension = X.

[Mortarboard]

To be fair, I've done that- but in reverse.
"What is your current salary?"
"My current package is X."
(Package being salary, pension, monetary value of all perks, etc ect- just don't say that bit out loud!)

M.

[SWoll]

Lord Marylebone said:

softtop said:

Yes, it's the only sensible way, think of it as 'the cheque is in the post'

This.

You would be somewhat daft to resign before you had something in writing from the next employer, because occasionally that 'something in writing' never comes, or when it does, it doesn't resemble what you thought you were applying for.

100% this. Why place yourself in a position of any kind of risk?

[ralphrj]

Countdown said:

In a couple of recent job offers that we've made the successful candidate has said that they wanted to wait until they had the formal job offer before handing their notice in at their current employer.

It wasn't a big issue from our point of view but I'm not sure what extra protection they thought they were getting from doing this. Even after an Employer offers a Contract my understanding is that it can be terminated at any time within the first two years as long as it doesn't involve protected characteristics and as long as the relevant Notice period is paid.

Am I missing something?

You are probably viewing this from the position of someone who would never verbally offer someone a job and then change your mind.

Off on a tangent:

If an employer withdraws an offer after it has been signed but before the first day of employment then they would need to pay the never-was-an-employee compensation. Someone took it to tribunal a few years ago as they had handed in their notice and their former employee filled their role so when the offer was withdrawn they had nothing.

[dibblecorse]

We advise all the candidates we are negotiating offers with DO NOT resign until they have paperwork they are happy to sign. We are the end employer, not an agency.