So, I’ve been working where I am now since last Sept through an agency, finally they decided to offer me the job so I’ve been officially employed since just after Easter, before I accpeted the job I tried to get more pay as I know the salary offered is low compared to elsewhere, they refused, so I’ve been on the lookout for another job, luckily something else came up, more money, better place to work, more perks, had an interview and I got the job. So now I need to hand in my notice here but there’s a few things I’m not to clear on.

I can’t find any employment policy and I haven’t had a contract of employment yet. I’m guessing I’ll need to give 4 weeks notice (it’s a school but I’m support staff so 4 weeks is normal) but as I’m probably in a probationary period since being officially employed by the school it seems they could give me 1 weeks notice – been trying to find info by googling but it’s all a bit unclear.

So when’s best to hand in my notice, I want to be payed as long as I can, my new job starts in September and normally I would hand in my notice at the end of July, so my last day to be employed would be the day before I start my new job. Is this right?

If I tell the school now could they dismiss me quickly?

Also, I would like to let the school know in advance so that they have time to find someone and I’ll be here incase they need to do a handover, but could this backfire on me and they make my last day as the last day of term?

Can’t really get advice from HR in the school as my line manager is the PA to the director of finance and HR manager, so they’ll guess what’s going on.

Any advice?

No rush. Ask them about issuing the contract. See what that says.
But it’s unlikely to be more than 4 weeks notice, so work back from when you need to leave and hand in appropriately. The only slightly confusing issue could be if you get paid for the school holidays and what that means.

I usually get paid over the holidays but it’s pro-rata, so say I get paid for 10 months of the year (support staff is uaually term-time only) but it’s spread out over 12 monthly payments, so I’m not sure how that effects things as the term finishes around the third week of July and I would of officially only been employed, and paid, by the school for just over 3 months.

The info I can find on the net is that if my new job starts on 1st September then my 4 week notice should end on the 31st August as that’s when my last employment day would be with the school I’m at now and this ensures a continuity of employment, which means giving my notice when i’m actually on summer break?