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By Helen Beckett
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 you never had much love for. To make sure your notice period is angst free you need to effectively manage both your time and your co-workers.
Garden games
Everyone dreams of gardening leave - sitting out your notice period at home - but it only usually happens if you're leaving to work for a competitor. Even then, only senior managers or sales staff who are likely to take customers and market intelligence with them, are sent to their gardens.
However there are cunning tactics for getting gardening leave when you might not be eligible. "The trick is in not revealing all your cards", recommends 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 to publicly critique your company's failings. This kind of honesty is best avoided, unless you're leaving your industry for a completely 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 marketer 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 not long after.
Short and sweet
Ideally, a notice period is a time of diplomacy, grooming 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 you can negotiate for an earlier departure.
The golden rule is to never to assume anything. People's sympathies can change very quickly once you've handed in your notice: it's okay to moan about the company as a fellow sufferer but colleagues take less kindly to it once you're off to something bigger and better. "Keep your nose clean", advises Broomer.
Rapid exit
If you're leaving the job from hell, a notice period is unlikely turn this experience around. Some career advisors recommend a speedy exit in order to have breathing space to build up confidence before starting your new role.
If you don't have any remaining holiday to take and you're really suffering, you may consider asking a doctor for a sick note on stress related grounds. It's best to wait until you have answered any questions from your new employer relating to the number of days off sick you have taken.
Departure day
D Day means it's your final opportunity to do any PR exercise. 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!). You should also provide an email address for people to stay in touch for the future and, with any 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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