Could I quit a job without giving notice?
Posted by condtrq@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 113 comments
I’m absolutely exhausted, my job is 12 hour shifts but for the past 6 weeks I’ve only been sleeping 0-4 hours a day, my body is barely functioning and I can’t do it anymore. I’m also barely eating
I’m 21 and it’s my first job. I’m scared if I work more then something bad could happen
Cute-Preparation-834@reddit
Don't just quit you need a reference.always get another job before quitting your new job
Bexmuz@reddit
hey, dont be scared, i'm 20 and im about to quit my job as a software engineer by telling my manager to gargle my balls, they can sue me for their losses (which will amount to basically £0)
condtrq@reddit (OP)
why are u quitting yours?
Bexmuz@reddit
Doing 40 hours a week at university and 50 hours a week at work, my employment is dependant on my uni and vice versa, everyone I work with is a massive c*nt, I’m from Brum and I was raised in a shithole, luckily I’d say I’m a little bit intelligent so I got into tech, unfortunately people at my think it’s alright to try take the piss out of me for where I’m from, it was funny at first but it got to a point where it was bullying, so now I’m fucking off
Burning_Ranger@reddit
Of course you can, you're not a slave
condtrq@reddit (OP)
Would there be any consequences to it?
FcukTheTories@reddit
Besides a potential bad reference no
CrossCityLine@reddit
No such thing as a bad reference, it’s illegal.
FcukTheTories@reddit
Illegal is for civilians, not companies
Low-Captain1721@reddit
Totally incorrect.
In theory your employer could take you to the civil court for direct losses incurred as a direct result of you breaching your contract such as cost of rehiring quickly and using a temp. In reality this rarely happens however especially for very basic jobs which I'm assuming it is.
FcukTheTories@reddit
“In theory”
Bingo
Low-Captain1721@reddit
In theory but it does also happen..
condtrq@reddit (OP)
Sorry if my question is dumb, it’s just that it’s my first job so I wasn’t sure what would happen.
Jaded_Library_8540@reddit
Not dumb at all. Literally the only concern is that it'd be considered unprofessional and that might follow you around, but realistically only if you're working in a more corporate job where people talk - if you're just an agency worker in a warehouse, for example, you're going to see pretty much no consequences beyond maybe being blacklisted by the agency. Compare that to working in a marketing firm or something where you've got actual responsibilities and bosses talk, which would be quite different
condtrq@reddit (OP)
I wasn’t an agency worker but I was a fulltime employee at a factory/warehouse and I’ve ultimately decided to hand in a letter to my brother who is team leader and quit.
I’m pretty disappointed in myself but my health is really bad at the moment due to no sleep or eating and I felt like if I continued then I could faint or something
PassDazzling@reddit
Nothing to stop you taking sick leave during your notice period but you'd obviously suffer a financial loss during that time. I guess if you compare your usual income to ssp and decide if you can manage even a week might help your health. You could also ask to reduce hours or change shift pattern during your notice period?
FcukTheTories@reddit
It's not dumb and is a normal thing to worry about if you have never done it before
Racing_Fox@reddit
How long is your notice period?
You can self certify as sick for a week, if your notice period is only a week so that
Ho-Nomo@reddit
A poor reference is the main one
Basso_69@reddit
You're asking the wrong question. The question should be "Will my doctor sign my off for exhaustion". See you GP asap and the rest will become clearer.
SlightlyIncandescent@reddit
The consequences are that it wouldn't look good to a future employer.
So ideally you'd want to give the notice but put your health first
The_Blip@reddit
Theoretically you could he sued for losses.
In reality, nobody sues for anything except specific extremely high end jobs.
Indigo-Waterfall@reddit
Of course. My advice though, as it’s affecting your health, would be to get a doctors note to sign you off for your notice period.
Me-myself-I-2024@reddit
Self certify as sick for a week go to your Dr’s and see if they will sign you off longer. You’ll get statuary sick pay that way.
If you leave your job you may not get any benefits for 6 weeks
Rude-Possibility4682@reddit
Find another job before quitting..it's easier to find employment when you're employed..plus what if your next place asks for a reference.
condtrq@reddit (OP)
I’m gonna start university soon so I’m not too bothered about another job yet and yeah I’m worried about the reference
ARobertNotABob@reddit
"Ok but 5 isn’t impacting ur day lmao, I do 12 hour shifts on 2 hours sleep and can make it through"
You said this 22 days ago. Just an observation, I mean nothing by it.
They'll only pay you to the day, maybe the day before, but they can't sue you really, they'd have to demonstrate loss.
As for the reference, a walkout doesn't look good, you really do need to tough out the week if you want an untarnished name.
condtrq@reddit (OP)
How important is the reference? It’s a dairy factory and I have no interest working in that field in the future
Id like to go university and study a completely different subject
Sorry if it’s a dumb question it’s my first job
sloth-llama@reddit
If you list it on your CV or job applications in the future you'll likely be asked to provide a reference from there and it would be odd if you didn't offer one. I'd say just don't put it down on anything in the future and try and get something part time/summer/volunteering while you're at uni so you have some work experience to list (and a safe reference) when looking for a job after.
pip_goes_pop@reddit
Don't worry about the reference, it's not something that goes on a record and would only be given if asked. As you say, it's hardly a career step of a job, so no employer is going to be interested in it anyway.
ARobertNotABob@reddit
Well, it probably won't matter much, TBH, 3 years of uni kinda dismisses any need for references from previous employers.
condtrq@reddit (OP)
Thank you so much for your reply, it means a lot to me
condtrq@reddit (OP)
Yeah I regret making that comment cause I’m definitely feeling the effects of it now & I should probably apologise to that person. I think I was just frustrated because they had more sleep than me but it doesn’t make their situation any less worse
ARobertNotABob@reddit
Yeah, you're running on fumes.
I'd ask the boss for the following day off, and get your head down.
No going out, no booze. Get a doctor's appointment if you can.
And if he won't agree a welfare day, then, quit and sleep, then go see doctor.
condtrq@reddit (OP)
They never let me have a day off, I took a sick day for the first time last week and was informed I’m receiving a disciplinary and will have to attend a meeting about it.
I quit just now and handed a letter in but I’m pretty conflicted about my feelings. On one hand I’m happy I did it before something drastic happened to my health, but on the other hand I feel disappointed I couldn’t do 1-2 more months
I feel disappointed in myself but I’ve had sleeping issues and an eating disorder my entire life and this job amplified it
Jebble@reddit
It's illegal to deny you your rightful sick days :) Consider reporting the company.
BeatificBanana@reddit
Yeah it's illegal for them to say you're not allowed a day off when you're sick. Nothing stopping them from taking disciplinary action after you do take a sick day though, unfortunately.
Jebble@reddit
That's not true. You can legally not take disciplinary action against an employee who took sick leave for a genuine reason.
BeatificBanana@reddit
That's funny, because I got let go for taking time off sick when I was sick for a genuine reason (I took 3 days off when I had the flu) and ACAS said they had the right to do that as I hadn't been working there 2 years.
Jebble@reddit
You can be let go without any valid reason within 2 years, that has nothing to do with being sick or not. Any rights you have, generally only kick in after 2 years.
BangkokLondonLights@reddit
Sounds like you’ve hit the wall. I’d speak to your bro and tell him straight.
And try and eat and sleep to reset then you’ll feel better.
condtrq@reddit (OP)
Hitting the wall is genuinely the way to describe it, I’ve been wanting to stay at the job as long as I can to get money for uni before quitting so I’ve got to this point where I don’t feel like my body can take it anymore
Low-Captain1721@reddit
They certainly can sue OP for breach of contract, they would have to substantiate losses such as rehiring quickly and using a temp.
The likelihood of this happening very much depends on the job and the company.
Broadly speaking these kind of cases are uncommon.
Racing_Fox@reddit
If you’re starting uni soon get a retail job yesterday
If you’re trained and past your probation it gives you more leverage to change your hours and location to fit your university schedule
Emergency-Lock5505@reddit
Hello mother
United-Syllabub-9914@reddit
I’d get the doctor to sign me off if it was me. You’re exhausted and could probably get signed off for stress and mental health and a bunch of other stuff as well as exhaustion. Rest up, get yourself back on your feet and then start looking for other jobs before you quit would be my suggestion.
condtrq@reddit (OP)
Yeah I’ve already quit but I had no idea about a doctor signing me off until after I handed the letter in to work, nobody on Reddit suggested it until after 🤣
Tiger-Bumbay@reddit
It could (probably will) tank a reference so it depends of you are reliant on that for future employment. What you could do is give in your resignation and try and get signed off sick by your GP, so effectively working your resignation period but would be off sick for the amount of time your GP can give you. Good luck
Tiger-Bumbay@reddit
Also just to add, if you are signed off sick you don’t need to tell employer why
SidewaysSky@reddit
My advice would be to hand your notice in straight away and try and stick it out for a few weeks but if you're really struggling then don't be afraid to call in sick. I've found quite often that once you've given notice in it can feel like a huge weight off your shoulders and you'll be in a better headspace even tho your still there
welsh_will@reddit
I left a job that was ridiculously stressful. My only regret was that I just walked out - my manager had been on the sick for months before doing the same thing. It sounds like this job has made you ill, like mine did to me. Go off sick with stress while you search for a new job. Good luck!
condtrq@reddit (OP)
Thank you very much, unfortunately at my job they’d just fire you if your sick for more than a week so I decided to hand in my notice saying I found a new job and just quit
welsh_will@reddit
Ah OK, well you're well rid. Good luck with the job search!
PabloMarmite@reddit
First of all, go to the doctor and get them to sign you off, that’s not healthy.
You can, they’ll probably be arsey about it, but it’s not like they can do anything about it (as long as they haven’t paid for anything for you like specialist training or uniforms). It might go on your future reference though.
condtrq@reddit (OP)
My shift is in 5 hours and ends at 7 pm so I wouldn’t have time to get a sick note either. I’d have to go in or just quit with immediate effect
I guess I’m wondering if I can be sued or anything like that. It’s a factory job so I didn’t have any paid training.
I also feel guilty because my brother is the team leader and told me to give in a one week notice but I’ve ran my body to its limit already
Valuable-Wallaby-167@reddit
You can self certify for a week. Phone in sick.
condtrq@reddit (OP)
They put you on a disciplinary if your sick
Valuable-Wallaby-167@reddit
Seeing as you're planning on quitting anyway, I'm not sure why that's a huge issue.
condtrq@reddit (OP)
That’s true but I was advised by my brother against that due to references
Valuable-Wallaby-167@reddit
Quitting without notice will look worse from a future employers perspective than being fired for being ill one time, which isn't actually reasonable grounds to get rid of someone. That's assuming they do, which probably isn't as likely as you think. Ideally you want to give a week minimum as that's the statutory notice period. They probably wouldn't bother following up on that but they theoretically could.
However, either way this is really really unlikely to ruin your future career prospects. You shouldn't find it too hard to get some kind of part time job when at uni and once you've got that you won't really need it as a reference.
condtrq@reddit (OP)
I handed a letter in wrote by my brother who is team leader and he said it’ll make sure I’m still on good terms with my company
I’m really disappointed in myself that I couldn’t work like 2 months longer but I know how fragile my health has became due to my eating disorder / sleeping issues that I’ve had my whole life and I feel like the job made it so bad to the point I could’ve fainted or something if I continued
QueenSashimi@reddit
I mean this with kindness, but when you leave, they will replace you and forget about you. Your health is FAR more important than any job. Don't be disappointed in yourself.
Don't worry about references, you're off to uni and once you're looking for a job in your chosen field as a graduate, you really won't need a reference from a short-lived role in an unrelated field, three years ago.
condtrq@reddit (OP)
I really appreciate this reply, I think I felt guilty because my brother was the boss of the shift but I’m aware the company just sees me as a number. I handed in my notice today and quit. Thank you so much
QueenSashimi@reddit
Good for you! Rest up, recover, look forward to uni 😊
TheRealGriff@reddit
Can't give you a bad reference if you don't list them as a previous employer. I wouldn't even include them if you've not been there that long and are about to go back in to full time education.
PabloMarmite@reddit
And? You want to leave.
PabloMarmite@reddit
Give one week notice, and self certify as sick for that week, problem solved.
condtrq@reddit (OP)
Couldn’t they fire me for being sick? They put you on a disciplinary if you do that here
PabloMarmite@reddit
You want to leave anyway, does it matter?
condtrq@reddit (OP)
That’s true
JarJarBinksSucks@reddit
Phone in sick, then just don’t go back
One_Transportation14@reddit
Yes u can in my entire work life in UK 18plus years I just dropped a letter of resignation and bye u cunts.i don't owe nothing to anyone
OutlawHavok@reddit
I'd recommend trying to focus on eating and sleeping better first. Take time off work if possible i.e. holidays, unpaid leave, keeps you in a job and a chance to recover.
Harsh reality is, you need to get used to the grind brother. 21 and first job says a lot and chances are, your body isn't used to it. It will adjust and over the next few years you'll be fine.
condtrq@reddit (OP)
I completely agree with you. I’ve been working here 9 months but yeah I did go through a 3 year period. I do have autism and I do believe I was also going through a hard time during that time due to an illness one of my parents had. I’m not making excuses though and I’m aware I should’ve been working
It’s highly unlikely I could’ve stayed off a decent amount of time without being fired. They punish people for having 2 sick days in a year so I decided to just quit today
mousey76397@reddit
Probably the best thing to do here would be to give notice and then get your doctor to sign you off for stress.
asmiggs@reddit
First thing to do is get signed off as sick, take a few days or weeks to restore your normal sleeping pattern. After that then think what you should do first, if you're tired you're not thinking properly.
Fickle_Hope2574@reddit
Sure you can but it'll reflect on future jobs when they ask for a reference.
Seems to me you just don't have work ethic, I worked 13 hour shifts 4 a week and didn't quit beside I was tired, must be a young person of 2025 thing.
sillysimon92@reddit
I think if you haven't passed a probation period you'll be fine just giving a week or two weeks notice, I wouldn't quit before having another option though. If it was me I would get another job, put a notice in Monday and then then call in sick on Tuesday and go start the new job. If it's a shitty low paid position they shouldn't mind
BeatificBanana@reddit
How long is your notice period supposed to be? Get signed off from the doctor for however long it is, and then hand in your notice.
Sitsey01@reddit
I've never handed in my notice. I've always just left immediately, once I'm set on leaving a job, I have zero reasons to give them even a single minute more of my time.
ThePerpetualWanderer@reddit
Talk to a doctor, it sounds likely that you’d be signed off sick. You can then submit your notice and likely the sick note will be extended for the length of your notice. This is the cleanest way to do it if you’re genuinely struggling mentally and physically.
knightsbridge-@reddit
Go hand your notice in today, if you like.
They'll ask you to work your notice period, which is usually a couple weeks. You don't legally have to, but they might give you a bad reference if you don't. Equally, they might not bother - depends on the individual company's policies.
If you don't intend to work your notice period, at least let your previous boss know so they can account for it.
You aren't a slave, you can quit a job whenever you want.
aeroash@reddit
Sounds like you should get a sick note from your doctor. Get signed off. Take some breathing space and decide what to do next
Plus_Mirror_4917@reddit
I've never given notice to a job and never had anything bad happen from it. Constant 12 hour shifts will wreck you, been there done that. Try not to stress and get some good food and sleep! Warehouses see people come and go all the time, and at least now you know what you don't want to do in your next job. 😂
Jebble@reddit
Why don't you start by calling in sick? Call the GP, get signed off and talk to your manager.
Appropriate_Mess4583@reddit
Look on the bright side, you only have 47 more years of work until you can claim your state pension.
MiddleAgeCool@reddit
Don't quit, yet.
How long have you been working there?
Have you told you're manager that you're struggling?
Have you spoken to your GP?
You've not mentioned the type of work you do, is this a job that you've just taken or the start of a career. Depending on your answer might change how I would answer this.
Firstly, phone in sick. You can self cert for 7 days. You don't need to give any detailed reasons over the phone other than you're unwell and unable to come into work.
Then get an appointment at your GP and tell them you're unable to sleep. Working 12 hour shifts can be hard but not to the point where your sleep pattern is as bad as you've described over a six week period. That suggests there is an underlying issue which could be in part stress cause by not being able to sleep. You want advice and a fit note from the GP.
Give the fit note to work. This should give you at least a week off in addition to the first seven days to reset your body. Depending on the length of time you've been employed, your work may offer you occupational health support and alternative shifts, although these maybe temporary.
During your time off you need to work out if it's the job, the shift duration or something else that's causing your to feel unwell. This will determine what your longer plan is.
condtrq@reddit (OP)
I’ve been working there 8 months
My team leader is my brother and knows my struggles
I haven’t spoken to my GP because I’ve had sleep and eating issues my whole life
The job is a dairy factory, no interest in this career
MiddleAgeCool@reddit
> I haven’t spoken to my GP because I’ve had sleep and eating issues my whole life
The eating thing aside, see a doctor. The sleep thing should be your main concern and the thing you need to address first. Lack of sleep to the degree you've described can cause a whole host of other problems and if you're body is exhausted, weaken your immune system to the point of causing other things. Working with raw animal produce potentially opens you up to a load of bacterial stuff that you wouldn't normally encounter, even in a sterile environment.
mattamz@reddit
Is it a manual job as in on your feet all day? I work 10-12 hours every day but I'm sat driving most of the day. I thought I wouldn't be able to do these sort of yours stood up.
Lil_Ratche_@reddit
Sounds like the crushing reality of the workplace has finally got to you. Just be careful when you leave without notice, they can take legal action if you have anything that belongs to the company or sue you if there is a breach in contract.
My advice is to always give notice.
Tallicaboy85@reddit
You should go of sick first if your job has good sick pay.
Zealousideal-Scar749@reddit
What job is it? Depending on the job I’d say just stop turning up.
Really does depend on what you’re doing, working in a short staffed job with other people like yourself would lead to someone else having to pick up the slack.
Are you sleeping and eating less because of the job or are there other issues at work? When I was in my early twenties I had something similar I thought it was my job grinding away at me but it wasn’t, it was something personal.
TLDR: Free will to quit it if you feel like it just know you might be putting others in a shitty spot
condtrq@reddit (OP)
It’s a factory job, 4 days on 4 days off and it switches between day shift and night shift after the first 2 days
I’m having to do 12 hour shifts on 0 hour sleep some of the days and it’s the most horrible feeling ever, im not eating much and now my body is starting to feel weird and my heart
I only feel guilty of doing this because my brother is the team leader and I don’t want him to get in trouble if I don’t work a one week notice
Zealousideal-Scar749@reddit
Speak to your brother about it if you can, you’re entitled to holiday leave and sick leave, tell him you need to take holiday leave asap and if that’s not possible you’ll take sick leave anyway, hopefully this will at least give him leeway with his boss(es) if anything would arise
Day and night shift work sucks but it can be managed especially with the 4 days off to “reset” yourself
Ask yourself why you’re not eating and sleeping is it because of the job or because you don’t like the job and this is a way out, I know from personal experience I destroyed my sleep and eating habits as a valid excuse to leave a shitty job, not saying you are but always be true to yourself lad
condtrq@reddit (OP)
Well I’m underweight and have had insomnia my entire life so the sleep schedule was always gonna be difficult but the past 2 months it’s been hell
I’m definitely not doing it to quit the job because I wanted to work until august so I can get as much money as possible before potentially going uni
Zealousideal-Scar749@reddit
Ask your Doctor to change insomnia meds if they’re not working, that helped me
condtrq@reddit (OP)
What meds are you on?
Low-Captain1721@reddit
If you leave without giving proper notice you will get a bad reference.
In theory your employer could take you to the civil court for direct losses incurred as a direct result of you breaching your contract such as cost of rehiring quickly and using a temp. In reality this rarely happens however especially for very basic jobs which I'm assuming it is.
Lammtarra95@reddit
If you want to claim Job Seekers' Allowance after you've quit, then the fact you've resigned might mean they won't give you any money for three months, by which time you will be packing your bags for university. It is a bit more complicated than that but look before you leap.
If your problem is sleeping during the day while working nights, some of my colleagues swore by Nytol (although I never used it). Your doctor or pharmacist might be able to recommend something. Make sure your bedroom is completely dark. You can buy blackout curtains from Dunelm among other places. Wear disposable earplugs if it is noisy out.
Although as you intend to leave in the next three or four hours, this is probably a bit late so I'll stop now.
condtrq@reddit (OP)
I really appreciate everything that you’ve said in this post truly but yeah I only slept 3 hours and my heart felt really strange when I got out of bed, I told my brother who is team leader and he agreed I should just quit today.
I’ve had sleep issues and eating disorder my whole life so I think I need to try improve my health before uni or another job
lickmybrains@reddit
Call in sick with covid and take a week off first. If you're planning to quit anyway you may as well. I'll DM you a picture of a positive covid test if it helps.
condtrq@reddit (OP)
I should’ve done this but my brother is team leader and didn’t recommend it, he’s known about my issues for a while and ultimately told me to just hand in a letter and not come in
SkeletorOnLSD@reddit
Before jumping the gun and quitting with nothing else lined up, take a week's holiday. Take the time to refresh and catch up on some sleep.
If you still decide to quit, get something else in place first.
condtrq@reddit (OP)
I did have 6 days off and I’ve still slept horribly and was having major stress today which led to me making this post
I’ve ultimately decided to quit, my brother agreed I should and he’s my team leader. I had too many shifts on 0 hours sleep and I’ve had sleeping issues for life, I think the work schedule of 2 days and 2 nights is too much for me
FireWhiskey5000@reddit
If you mean can you decide to quit whenever you want, then sure you can quit at any time for any reason, you just have to tell them you’re quitting.
However if you mean can you quit tomorrow without working your notice period, AFAIK no. Certainly not without agreeing with your employer that you won’t work the notice period as set out in your contract. Some employers might be lenient and agree for you to not work your notice period. But it’s within their rights to insist you work your notice period. If you don’t think you could then I would speak to your doctor and see if you can get signed off.
Dazz316@reddit
You cannot be forced to work. Anybody can just stop coming in, you'll get paid for the time worked.
condtrq@reddit (OP)
I haven’t have a notice in, I was just planning to straight up quit and wondering about the consequences
FireWhiskey5000@reddit
You’re not going to get in trouble for quitting your job. The main consequence is you won’t have a job. There’s a reasonable chance you might get asked in future interviews why you left - it’s the sort of thing future employers are interested in - and if you go into a prolonged period of unemployment, again future employers would be interested in that.
I would look to find a new job ASAP. But unless you’re in a niche industry, where everyone knows everyone, you’d probably be fine getting work in a similar field in the future.
condtrq@reddit (OP)
It’s just a factory job in a dairy factory, anyone can get in. And I’m interested in going to university in September so a new job isn’t a big priority at the moment
Worm_slayer3000@reddit
I would say don't worry about it, lots of people leave uni without a job on their CV
FireWhiskey5000@reddit
If you’ve had enough then you can just quit. You could always pick up a summer job/temp work until September. It won’t be very exciting or pay that well, but it might tick you over. Or just have the summer off. It’s unlikely that a future employer would raise many eyebrows that you wanted to enjoy the summer off before going to university.
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