Fixed term contract - do i need to give notice?

[knock knock]

Can anybody help? My employment contract is coming to an end on 31/03/12 (as far as iam aware, there is no money to keep paying me after this date). I have been offered a job in another dept which starts on 1/4/12. My current boss is refusing to acknowledge my leave date & insisting that i give at least 1 months notice to complete some work. Legally, can she stop me from starting my new job on the 1st? Do i have to give notice if my fixed contract ends on a set date anyway? Need something to get this crazy woman out my life as H.R not forthcoming with advice. Thanks

[NotAllThere]

Try the citizens advice bureau.

>Legally, can she stop me from starting my new job on the 1st?
Probably not.
>Do i have to give notice if my fixed contract ends on a set date anyway?
Probably not.

To really answer these questions, you need to look a what your contract says

"H.R not forthcoming with advice." Tell HR that if they don't get their backsides in gear, that you'll quit and sue for constructive dismissal. Part of HR's job is to protect the company from employment tribunals.

I am not an employment lawyer, this is a contractor site for freelancers, not employees, but we're usually happy to help.

[BolshieBastard]

Can anybody help? My employment contract is coming to an end on 31/03/12 (as far as iam aware, there is no money to keep paying me after this date). I have been offered a job in another dept which starts on 1/4/12. My current boss is refusing to acknowledge my leave date & insisting that i give at least 1 months notice to complete some work. Legally, can she stop me from starting my new job on the 1st? Do i have to give notice if my fixed contract ends on a set date anyway? Need something to get this crazy woman out my life as H.R not forthcoming with advice. Thanks

Let me get this straight, your FTC ends on 31.03.2012. The new job starts on 1.04.2012 ie after your old FTC ends. You dont even need to see what your contract says in these circumstances unless the end date isnt 31.03.2012! You have no requirement to serve any notice period beyond the end of the FTC.

So, your 'boss' cannot tell you to work past 31.03.2012. What she going to pay you with if there's no more money after the FTC ends anyway?

Tell them the FTC ends on 31.03.2012. It's finished, complete, no more.

Then start your new job on 01.04.2012

[Scrag Meister]

Try the citizens advice bureau.

>Legally, can she stop me from starting my new job on the 1st?
Probably not.
>Do i have to give notice if my fixed contract ends on a set date anyway?
Probably not.

To really answer these questions, you need to look a what your contract says

"H.R not forthcoming with advice." Tell HR that if they don't get their backsides in gear, that you'll quit and sue for constructive dismissal. Part of HR's job is to protect the company from employment tribunals.

I am not an employment lawyer, this is a contractor site for freelancers, not employees, but we're usually happy to help.

WNATS

If your contract expires at the end of March then it expires at the end of March, they haven't offered and you haven't accepted an extension of any sort. So I don't think there is anything that can be done, unless some internal wrangling starts up once you move, then it could just be uncomfortable.

GL with this.

[northernladuk]

From what I know of contracts in our world. If you contract ends on the 31/3/12 then it's done. You have no agreement for squat going forward. Remember your contract is a two way thing. It says you work up until a certain date and for that they will pay you x amount. If you work past that date you have no agreement to be paid and so on. Do you want to work for nothing?

I don't see this manager has a leg to stand on and as NAT said HR are obliged to sort this out. Get on the phone get them to sort it.

The only problem could be this boss causes trouble for your new role so if I was you I would make your new manager aware. forewarned is forearmed.

[northernladuk]

Just a note to your old manager. As you have an end date you could argue technically been on notice to end contract from day 1.

[ASB]

Can anybody help? My employment contract is coming to an end on 31/03/12 (as far as iam aware, there is no money to keep paying me after this date). I have been offered a job in another dept which starts on 1/4/12. My current boss is refusing to acknowledge my leave date & insisting that i give at least 1 months notice to complete some work. Legally, can she stop me from starting my new job on the 1st? Do i have to give notice if my fixed contract ends on a set date anyway? Need something to get this crazy woman out my life as H.R not forthcoming with advice. Thanks

Notice depends upon what is written in the contract. However it sounds like a fixed term employment contract with an end date of 31/3/12. This might help a bit.

Ending and renewing your fixed-term contract : Directgov - Employment

It sounds like your new role is in the same company. In all practical terms then your current boss might be able to make things difficult regarding the new role so trying to sort something amicably would be best. You would have recourse over this, but that's a different thing.