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Surviving the notice period

A notice period should be a time to wind down, do some positive PR and prepare for your new job. In reality, it can often be a time to get wound up by colleagues and a company for which you never had much love. If you want to make sure your notice period is angst-free, you need to manage your time and your co-workers effectively.

Garden games
Everyone dreams of gardening leave – sitting out your notice period at home – but it usually happens only if you’re leaving to work for a rival. Even then, only senior managers or sales staff who are likely to take customers and market intelligence with them, are sent to their gardens.

But there are cunning tactics for getting gardening leave when you might not be eligible. “The trick is in not revealing all your cards,” says one constant gardener. “If your employer asks what you will be doing, say you’d prefer not to say before you start the new job,” he recommends. “That will get them thinking.”

Honesty is not the best policy
The longer notice period you have, the more tempting it may be to give your inept boss or colleague a piece of your mind or publicly to critique your company’s failings. This kind of honesty is best avoided, unless you’re leaving your industry for a fresh start, because it could backfire.

Anyone who’s worked any length of time within the same sector will know of the useless boss who turns up again and again like a bad apple. One employee fled a company because of a detested boss and told him so at a stormy exit interview. She resigned immediately when her nemesis turned up at her new place of work after a takeover soon afterwards.

Short and sweet
Ideally, a notice period is a time of diplomacy, nurturing relationships and leaving on a good note, so it’s important not to let your guard slip. “Very long notice periods don’t work,” advises Simon Broomer of Career Balance. He suggests trading in notice pay or trying to wrap up all your projects so that you can negotiate an earlier departure.

The golden rule is never to assume anything. People’s sympathies can change very quickly once you’ve handed in your notice: it’s OK to moan about the company as a fellow sufferer, but colleagues take it less kindly once you’re off to something bigger and better. “Keep your nose clean,” says Broomer.

Rapid exit
If you’re leaving the job from hell, a notice period is unlikely to turn this experience around. Some career advisers recommend a speedy exit so that you have breathing space to build up confidence before starting your new role.

Departure day
D Day means it’s your final opportunity to do any PR. So send off the “all staff” email wishing your colleagues well and saying how much you have enjoyed your time working with them (even if you haven’t!). Provide an email address for people to stay in touch with you and, with luck, the farewells will be genuinely fond.

The traditional leaving drinks can again be a treacherous time so be careful that when the drinks start flowing, the tongue doesn’t start wagging. Set yourself a time to leave and stick to it: you can meet up again with your genuine friends for a proper send-off soon after.

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