written by | November 7, 2022

What is the Notice Period in a Job? Meaning, Definition & Methods

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Table of Content


You may have to transition from one job to another for various reasons. Before making the transition, you must inform your employer by giving notice. The primary purpose of providing the notice is to notify the employer of your departure. Thus, the employer will get time to find someone capable of carrying the same responsibility after you leave the organisation. The notice period is from when you informed your employer till your last day of work. Serving notice period is essential to make the transition smooth and transparent. It shows that you are courteous and respectful when you honestly inform your employer before leaving the job. 

Did you know?

Always remember, the Contract is King! Whether to serve a notice period or not depends on your agreement with your organisation. 

What is the Notice Period?

The notice period is counted from the day of informing the employer about leaving your job till your last day at work. You will have to tell your employer clearly about your last day at work to set the notice period. In the same way, the employers will also have to inform you when they decide to terminate your employment. However, in some cases, employers can terminate your employment without giving you any notice.

Also read: What is the Average B Tech Salary in India?

Importance of Notice Period

The notice period is essential to give your employer the time to hire other employees or to find someone to assign the responsibility you carried out earlier. Thus, you can make the transition smoothly without creating any hurdles for your employer. If you quit the job without informing anyone, it would create a problem for the employer and other employees. It takes time to delegate the responsibility you have carried out for months or years, and finding someone with the same skill and experience to delegate the task may take time. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to set a notice period by informing your employer before few days before your departure.

Serving notice period shows your politeness and professionalism. It would help if you give prior notice to keep your relationship intact with the particular organisation. 

Length of Notice Period

There are no fixed notice period rules for the employee. However, two weeks is a standard duration for giving notice. In some circumstances, the organisation can set its notice period, which you must consider while providing the notice. There may be more extended notice periods for some jobs of high responsibility.

When there is no fixed notice period, you should consider the following factors while calculating the notice period:

  • Burden of Responsibility

You should consider the amount of your responsibility in an organisation. If you are in an entry-level position, your employer will not face many difficulties finding someone. If you were in a managerial position, your notice period should be longer as it may take longer to find someone with the same expertise. 

Keeping this point in mind when you decide on your notice period will significantly benefit your employer. It will help to strengthen your relationship with the employer and organisation, which may be beneficial in future.

  • Ongoing Projects

It is also necessary to consider the projects which are going on. It would help if you analysed whether your resignation will impact these projects or not. It would help to consider the projects when you are leading the project or under any other important responsibility to make it successful. You can decide your notice period based on the required time to complete the project. 

  • Probability of Finding the Replacement

You should decide your notice period based on the possibility of finding a new employee in your place. If you think that the organisation would be able to find someone of the same capacity, then you may take two week notice period. Otherwise, you may extend the period. If you carry out some common types of responsibility, your employer may not have much difficulty. But, the unique role may put the employer in trouble to find a new employee.

Also read: What is the Average Salary of Google Employees in India?

Methods of Submitting the Notice

It is preferable to submit your notice by following some formalities. It would help if you prepared yourself along with giving time to your employer to prepare as well. You should follow the methods mentioned below:

  • Decide your Final Day at Work

Deciding your final day at work will give you enough time to prepare. Based on your final day, you can determine your notice period. Make sure you have sufficient time to prepare for the new job before leaving the old one. You should also determine a date to start your new job so that you get time to leave your old job.

  • Inform your Supervisor

You should talk to your supervisor before giving the resignation letter and discuss your decision. Although you do not require to give all the information, you should provide them with general information. You must state your final date at work based on which your supervisor will be able to take further steps. You can also discuss the delegation of your task. This discussion will allow them to prepare themselves to look for a new employee.

  • Inform the Team

After informing the supervisor confirming your resignation, you can inform other team members or your co-workers. If you were a team lead and working on a project, informing your team members will give them an idea of how to finish the project. Even if you are one of the team members, informing other members will provide them with time to bid you farewell. 

  • Give the Notice in Writing

After informing everyone orally, you should put your thought into paper and give it a formal written document, which will help you in future references. You should keep the format like a formal letter, including the following details:

Contact information: In this clause, you should include your name, address, job title and phone number.

The Date of Submission: The date of your notice submission is necessary so that the employer can remember the date of submitting your notice and cannot raise any questions later.

Reason for Resignation: This clause will include your final date at work and reason for leaving the organisation. You can also add what you have gained from the organisation. You should put your words very carefully as these will have a lasting impression.

Express Gratitude: One or two lines of expressing your gratitude will show your politeness. You can mention how much you could learn from your seniors and teammates.

Signature: At the end of the letter, you should put your signature.

Also read: RRB ALP Salary After 7th Pay Commission Detailed Information

  • Prepare your Team

After confirming your resignation and departure date, you should ask your employer how you can help your team. You may have to train your team members or finish incomplete projects. If a project is taking too long, you may have to train your team members to continue your task to make the project successful. After the full and final settlement, you should leave your old organisation with sweet memories.

  • Feel Confident

It would help if you were confident when you talked about your resignation. You should not feel shy to state the reason for your resignation, and you should not get affected by the emotions lingering in your mind related to the past in the organisation. Regardless of your resignation, you should state everything clearly without any hesitation.

Conclusion:

The notice letter informs your employer about your decision to leave the organisation. It will give your employer time to prepare to hire a new employee. If there is a fixed notice period, you should adhere to that. If there is no rule for the notice period, you should consider the factors mentioned above while determining the period. You should feel confident to say your resignation and state the reason clearly. You can add one or two constructive feedback when you give the notice in writing. But it would help if you were careful, as your words will have a lasting impact.

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FAQs

Q: What is the rule of payment of gratuity?

Ans:

The payment of the gratuity amount is cleared within 30 days from the date of resignation. Otherwise, the interest will increase as the days pass by. Failing to pay the gratuity will lead to the payment of the interest amount.

Q: What is the unpaid salary?

Ans:

Unpaid salary is the amount of salary from the days after filing the notice until the final day at work. Unpaid salary includes arrears, travel allowance, and other pending allowances.

Q: What is Garden Leave?

Ans:

Sometimes, your employer may ask you to leave the organisation after giving your notice. The employer may do so to keep the confidentiality of the organisation undamaged. But you will still be in the role of an employee. This is known as garden leave. It happens when you are going to join the competitor’s organisation.

Q: What should be the length of the notice period?

Ans:

There is no fixed rule for the notice period. However, the organisation may determine a certain period to give the notice. If there is no notice period, you can decide to give the notice on your own.

Q: What is the full and final settlement?

Ans:

Full and final settlement is when the employee who resigns receives the full salary for the last working month, including any additional bonus and tax deduction. The settlement process begins immediately after the resignation or after relieving the employee.

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Disclaimer :
The information, product and services provided on this website are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis without any warranty or representation, express or implied. Khatabook Blogs are meant purely for educational discussion of financial products and services. Khatabook does not make a guarantee that the service will meet your requirements, or that it will be uninterrupted, timely and secure, and that errors, if any, will be corrected. The material and information contained herein is for general information purposes only. Consult a professional before relying on the information to make any legal, financial or business decisions. Use this information strictly at your own risk. Khatabook will not be liable for any false, inaccurate or incomplete information present on the website. Although every effort is made to ensure that the information contained in this website is updated, relevant and accurate, Khatabook makes no guarantees about the completeness, reliability, accuracy, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, product, services or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Khatabook will not be liable for the website being temporarily unavailable, due to any technical issues or otherwise, beyond its control and for any loss or damage suffered as a result of the use of or access to, or inability to use or access to this website whatsoever.