When did you tell your employer?

[gorstsmit]

Evening All, or morning as the case may be.

So, I'm considering now that we've sold our house and moved (did I mention that? Think I did. Woo hoo), telling my employer about our planned move to NZ even though it may be months ahead. We've a pretty good trusting working relationship, and it feels like the right thing to do, given they've always been pretty good to me and I think it's only fair of me to give my manager the heads up as early as possible. Even if the move is fairly open ended at them moment. I just don't want to get to the point where I'm putting my 1 months notice in and it's all a big surprise.

Out of interest - when did people here inform their employers, what was their reaction, and would you do anything diffrently if you had to do it again?

[louiser]

Hi Gorstsmit, I gave mine about 6 months verbal notice - as soon as we came back to the UK & knew we wanted to move (& OH had a job to go to in NZ). I found that being straight with them & still putting in the effort at work until pretty much the last minute worked in everyone's favour. It kept them on side so that they were flexible about the amount of written notice I needed to give due to timing of the PR coming through. I'm not much good at bluffing either so would have been hard for someone at work not to wonder why I was so excited. Guess it depends on your boss & how much flexibility they have within company procedures. Once you 'fess up, you're not going to get any promotion or training, but you might have a more sympathetic reaction to taking time out for medicals or inevitably trying to organise removals etc. whilst at work.

[Corbishleys]

Both mine and my wifes employers knew what we were planning from the begining and were very supportive,In fact they both offered us a job back if it didnt work out.
Good luck with the move

[Mamee & Co]

I told mine the day after my PR came through that we had PR for NZ and would be heading over in the next eighteen months once our house had sold. It took the house 7 months to sell after this but at least they had put succession plans in place for me, and although the last 4-5 weeks were hectic (I was processing audit requests for information and forecasting on the empty floor of my house on my laptop the day the container left) we flew out 6 weeks after the house sold on very good terms...I never actually had to hand in formal written notice as they were quite happy to leave it open ended incase help was needed from me when I arrived here.

I still remember the original day that I told them...it stunned them speechless....a first!! And the day I finally told them the house was sold the MD admitted to me, that even though the plans were in place, he didn;t think I was going to go through with it!!!!!!

However it worked well all round for us. I do think that a month' notice for certain positions is not enough for recruitment and a handover...so as much notice as you can possibly give in these cases is helpful to everyone.

[victoria24]

i told mine the day i flew back from my reccie and left immediately

[Duncan74]

I told mine the day I got dragged in to tell me that they were laying off some of my team. Seemed wrong to sit there knowing I was going when they were being made redundant. So I was caught off guard and it was a fair time before I would have done it. In the end then it was mid January and I actually stopped work on the 13 May.

There isn't a right answer, but it will depend on your circumstances, and the relationship you have with your employer and colleagues.

[gorstsmit]

i told mine the day i flew back from my reccie and left immediately

but all that money from the electric cheese grater must have made it easier.

[gorstsmit]

thanks all, I think you've pretty much confirmed what I thought - follow my instincts and tell them (well, my manager anyway). I agree, a month for me at the moment isn;t sufficient for project handover/transition, so the extra awareness can only be seen to be helping them I'd say.

Hopefully, it won't be an addition to my difficult conversations thread.

[gorstsmit]

Well, told my manager and got pretty much the reaction I'd hoped for/expected.

Just agreed to keep it between us until such time as I knew I'd be handing my notice in imminently. He's happy to be a referee in the mean time as well which is great and appreciated being told as early as possible.

Feel quite relieved that it's out there and I'm not keeping secrets from him unecessarily. If it ever happens that is - which it will!

[victoria24]

but all that money from the electric cheese grater must have made it easier.

lol good work on the manager front hopfully youll be able to get him to give you 2 weeks leave for a free recce