handing in notice

snorlax

I am currently working in the UK for a health organisation and handed in my Notice at the end of september. My contract has obliged me to give two months notice which I did originally in my resignation letter, however my job wanted me to stay right up to christmas so i altered the letter to the middle of december for my own fininacial reasons. in the meantime I have been offered a much better job in Ireland (where im from) offering much better job perks, however they want me to start at the start of december and won't budge on it as in ireland you only have to give one months notice for a permanent job.

Is there anything my current job could do legally if i only changed it to the orginal two months/ left at the start of december (the original letter of notie i sent them was two months and only changed out of courtesy) as i am obeying the terms of my contract.

Thanks, I just don't know the legal ins/ outs.

leeroybrown

You'll just have to talk to your current employer and inform them that you can no longer stay until the middle of December. Given that you will be working your contractually required notice I don't think there is a huge amount they can do. In the unlikely event that they decided to pursue it legally I'd suggest that they'd have quite a weak case given that you were already doing them a favour by extending it. Tell them as soon as possible and stand your ground.

Also, while two/three month notice periods aren't as common in Ireland as in the UK there are still plenty of senior positions here that have them.

jimoc

If you submitted the original letter, and they accepted it at two months notice, and did not give it back to you after you submitted a new one then I would say you are fine to leave when that notice is worked.