Handed In Notice / HR now changing date

ExeC-UK · Jan 6, 2026

Hey,

My Wife didnt like how her 6 month probation meeting went at her job and decided to resgin with the required 2 months notice as stated on the contact as the resignation was post probation period.

My wife's resignation later originally stated 2 weeks notice as she thought because the probation final day / meeting was on a Friday and the letter was handed to them at the weekend it would count. HR replied and confirmed it would need to be 2 months from 23rd November. Further discussions ensued as they tried offering a different role which she declined on 19th Dec. She then replied suggesting she believed "29th Jan should be her last day if she calculated correctly" and asked HR to confirm if this was OK. HR replied same day thanking her for confirming and that her last day would be 29th Jan 2026.

No further communication was made until today when my wife got into the office to find access to all services was revoked and she was asked to leave and work the remaining notice from home on a few small handover items. She asked for this in writing and was sent this a few hours later which also stated that her last day would be 22nd Jan. She replied stating this should be 29th as agreed.

They have appologised saying this was a mistake and sorry for the confusion but her notice was handed in on the 23rd November so her last day would be 22nd.

Is there anything she can do in regards to this? I know it seems petty but it feels like theyre trying to save some pay and it feels quite unfair as she has made plans around this.

Thanks for reading!

StrategyDoctor · Jan 7, 2026

First up: I’m not a qualified legal adviser, so treat this as practical guidance only, but it is based on my experience of running decent sized business and handling many HR issues!

Best advice is if you’re unsure, take formal advice (Citizens Advice is a sensible starting point, and many employment solicitors will do an initial chat FOC). In employment disputes, ACAS is also a very relevant free source of guidance.
From what you say there are two separate key issues:
- What the contract says (notice period and how it’s calculated).
- What HR agreed in writing (their email confirming 29 Jan 2026).
Check the notice clause wording in the contract, for example:
- Does it say “2 months” (calendar months) or “8 weeks”?
- Does it define when notice is “served” (ie received by HR/manager)? Small date differences (e.g., 22 vs 23 Jan) often come down to whether they count from the day notice is dated or when actually received (ie the next day).
The key leverage point is the written confirmation of 29 Jan:
- It seems that the company explicitly thanked her for confirming and confirmed back that the “last day would be 29th Jan 2026”.
- Even if it started as her miscalculation, once HR confirms an end date in writing, it can be argued there was an agreed variation (or at minimum that she reasonably relied on it).
Garden leave is normal; shortening notice is different:
- Putting her on garden leave (work from home, restricted access) is common.
- Unilaterally reducing the notice end date is harder for the company to justify unless the contract allows them to terminate early via PILON (pay in lieu of notice) or they pay her through to the correct/agreed end date anyway.
Next steps : ask the company to confirm (keep it calm and written):
- “Please confirm my final contractual termination date. As per your email dated [x], you confirmed 29 Jan 2026. If you are now asserting 22 Jan 2026, please explain the contractual basis and confirm I will be paid (salary/benefits) up to 29 Jan 2026 as previously confirmed (or via PILON).” Attached the email as evidence.
- Also ask them to confirm treatment of accrued holiday, bonuses/commission (if any), pension, and any deductions.
- State that if the matter is not explained or resolved amicably you will seek legal advice and will also seek compensation for these costs (you may not get them but it sets out your position - if they have made a mistake it should resolve the matter).
Escalation steps if they dig in or deny it:
- Raise a short formal grievance: “incorrect notice end date / reliance on HR confirmation / financial loss and planning impact”.
- Request that the review by a more senior HR person / HR manager or other Director (this should be normal company procedure).
- If they still refuse to honour the 29th, consider ACAS and/or a solicitor letter (often enough to prompt a settlement by the company for one week’s pay).
Reality check on your position: if she’s under 2 years’ service, unfair dismissal rights are limited, but notice pay and contractual pay are still enforceable. The cleanest outcome is usually: employer sticks to 22 Jan 'operationally' but pays to 29 Jan ('as a gesture of goodwill').

Seems a bit petty from the company, but in my experience it is normally due to an error and then an someone (HR) trying to cover their tracks and not lose face with their boss.

Try and keep it polite, professional and reasonable - you never know if you will meet again!

If I am off the mark on anything pretty sure other UKBF members will interject

Good luck and let us know how you get on!

ExeC-UK · Jan 7, 2026

Hey,

Thanks for the help, we've drafted an email to HR requesting their confirmation/stance outlining the details to clairfy with what you have provided.

I'll update with their response if they decide to fight this.

Lisa Thomas · Jan 7, 2026

@Newchodge

Newchodge · Jan 7, 2026

ExeC-UK said:
Hey,

My Wife didnt like how her 6 month probation meeting went at her job and decided to resgin with the required 2 months notice as stated on the contact as the resignation was post probation period.

My wife's resignation later originally stated 2 weeks notice as she thought because the probation final day / meeting was on a Friday and the letter was handed to them at the weekend it would count. HR replied and confirmed it would need to be 2 months from 23rd November. Further discussions ensued as they tried offering a different role which she declined on 19th Dec. She then replied suggesting she believed "29th Jan should be her last day if she calculated correctly" and asked HR to confirm if this was OK. HR replied same day thanking her for confirming and that her last day would be 29th Jan 2026.

No further communication was made until today when my wife got into the office to find access to all services was revoked and she was asked to leave and work the remaining notice from home on a few small handover items. She asked for this in writing and was sent this a few hours later which also stated that her last day would be 22nd Jan. She replied stating this should be 29th as agreed.

They have appologised saying this was a mistake and sorry for the confusion but her notice was handed in on the 23rd November so her last day would be 22nd.

Is there anything she can do in regards to this? I know it seems petty but it feels like theyre trying to save some pay and it feels quite unfair as she has made plans around this.

Thanks for reading!

They are perfectly entitled to ask her to work from home or stay home and do nothing, as long as they pay her.

Unless her resignation letter stated that her final date would be 29 January, which is unlikely given the circumstances, then she gave 2 months' notice from 23 November, which expires on 22 January. Why did she think it might be 29 January? The fact they agreed it was 29 January is clearly an error and does not change the fact that her notice expired on 22 January.

She can kick up a fuss and see if it changes anything but, surely, life is too short. she needs to move on.

StrategyDoctor · Jan 7, 2026

ExeC-UK said:
Hey,

Thanks for the help, we've drafted an email to HR requesting their confirmation/stance outlining the details to clairfy with what you have provided.

I'll update with their response if they decide to fight this.

Good luck - but it doesn't appear you will need it

ExeC-UK · Jan 7, 2026

Newchodge said:
They are perfectly entitled to ask her to work from home or stay home and do nothing, as long as they pay her.

Unless her resignation letter stated that her final date would be 29 January, which is unlikely given the circumstances, then she gave 2 months' notice from 23 November, which expires on 22 January. Why did she think it might be 29 January? The fact they agreed it was 29 January is clearly an error and does not change the fact that her notice expired on 22 January.

She can kick up a fuss and see if it changes anything but, surely, life is too short. she needs to move on.

Appreciate your reply,

Completely agree re; staying at home, this was not a concern nor raised as one, just used as context.

Her original resignation as mentioned requested 2 weeks which was declined, she never gave 2 months in her initial letter. Since then all dates and disucssions were via email with HR and the only date ever suggested was 29th from both parties which was agreed (2 calander months would have been 22nd but agreement on discussion was 29th), hence the question on here

I understand lifes too short, but this is a simple question/fact check in order to not present an incorrect argument back to HR.

"The fact they agreed it was 29 January is clearly an error and does not change the fact that her notice expired on 22 January."

Are you sure this is correct as I thought notice could be given with any date, not just the mandatory 2 Calander Months as per her contract ?

StrategyDoctor · Jan 7, 2026

My view remains that if the company stated the 29th, and you have this in writing, then this is the 'agreed date', by default, unless one of the parties disagrees in a timely manner. Put your concerns in writing and let them reply and clarify.

And I disagree with @Newchodge, life is not too short to request the weeks wages you are potentially entitled to. It appears you met with company request to leave on the 29th.....by complying at that time this may have prevented you from starting alternative employment...?

Paul Kelly ICHYB · Jan 7, 2026

StrategyDoctor said:
prevented you from starting alternative employment

That would be the argument I would use.

DontAsk · Jan 7, 2026

Paul Kelly ICHYB said:
That would be the argument I would use.

Leaving a week earlier does not prevent her starting the new employment on the original date.

I suspect the concern is she will lose a weeks pay if the 22nd is the agreed date.

I would also agree that you can give notice for a particular date, effectively giving the 2 months notice a week in advance if you see what I mean. It may will hinge on whether she gave notice of leaving on a particular date or explicitly gave two months notice the day notice was submitted.

What I don’t understand is why she was on such long leave after just 6 months. The company can simply get rid of her.

Paul Kelly ICHYB · Jan 7, 2026

DontAsk said:
Leaving a week earlier does not prevent her starting the new employment on the original date.

It means that she could be starting a week after she could have, if she knew the earlier date was being enforced.

DontAsk said:
I suspect the concern is she will lose a weeks pay if the 22nd is the agreed date.

Exactly

eteb3 · Jan 7, 2026

I may be wrong but I don’t think you’ve told us what date the operative resignation was given. That will give the date from which two months will run; except as you say, an employee can give longer notice and specify the day it is to take effect

It’s not clear why HR considered 23rd November, a Sunday, as the date notice was deemed to be given . Was that the day your wife handed the notice in? Contractual notices received out of hours generally take effect at the start of business on the next working day.

In any case, if both parties have agreed 29th, that’s an end of it. It doesn’t matter what shenanigans they went through to get there. And there’s nothing to stop the both parties agreeing to dispense with the contractual notice period if they want, either

What did your wife’s letter giving notice say, exactly?

JEREMY HAWKE · Jan 8, 2026

ExeC-UK said:
Is there anything she can do in regards to this? I know it seems petty but it feels like theyre trying to save some pay and it feels quite unfair as she has made plans around this.

Book a quick winter break while the prices are good

I dont know how humans do all this buracratic red tape stuff for a few quid a day .

Give me a couple of sheep any day of the week

Paul Kelly ICHYB · Jan 8, 2026

JEREMY HAWKE said:
Give me a couple of sheep any day of the week

Not sure how to interpret that one!

eteb3 · Jan 8, 2026

Paul Kelly ICHYB said:
Not sure how to interpret that one!

A short perusal of sheep-related comments on Jeremy’s other posts will see you right !

fisicx · Jan 8, 2026

I’ve read the opening post twice and am totally confused (not a difficult thing). The timeline is all over the place and seems to hinge on when the resignation letter was received by HR. Or maybe not.

ExeC-UK · Jan 8, 2026

Hi Guys,

Im sorry if I confused people with the opening statements, I took StrategyDoctor's advise and guidance and she had a reply back this morning from HR agreeing to the 29th Jan now, so all is resolved.

Basically no date was fully agree'd as discussions ensued post notice hand (23rd Nov) in which they rejected the notice period on (2 weeks) which was given by my wife. They demanded the minimum 2 Cal Months but were offering her an alternative role to keep her on which was being discussed for a few weeks. This was rejected mid december and a slight miscaluation on final date on both parties led to agreing 29th January on email.

HR Attempted to change this to 22nd last week which is what the main issue was, as she had made plans for 29th with work, pay etc.

HR Now agreed based on what I sent from Strat Docs advice so thanks everyone for their help.

Keep away from those sheep!

StrategyDoctor · Jan 9, 2026

ExeC-UK said:
Hi Guys,

Im sorry if I confused people with the opening statements, I took StrategyDoctor's advise and guidance and she had a reply back this morning from HR agreeing to the 29th Jan now, so all is resolved.

Basically no date was fully agree'd as discussions ensued post notice hand (23rd Nov) in which they rejected the notice period on (2 weeks) which was given by my wife. They demanded the minimum 2 Cal Months but were offering her an alternative role to keep her on which was being discussed for a few weeks. This was rejected mid december and a slight miscaluation on final date on both parties led to agreing 29th January on email.

HR Attempted to change this to 22nd last week which is what the main issue was, as she had made plans for 29th with work, pay etc.

HR Now agreed based on what I sent from Strat Docs advice so thanks everyone for their help.

Keep away from those sheep!

@ExeC-UK good news! and thanks for the update!

Newchodge · Jan 9, 2026

ExeC-UK said:
Hi Guys,

Im sorry if I confused people with the opening statements, I took StrategyDoctor's advise and guidance and she had a reply back this morning from HR agreeing to the 29th Jan now, so all is resolved.

Basically no date was fully agree'd as discussions ensued post notice hand (23rd Nov) in which they rejected the notice period on (2 weeks) which was given by my wife. They demanded the minimum 2 Cal Months but were offering her an alternative role to keep her on which was being discussed for a few weeks. This was rejected mid december and a slight miscaluation on final date on both parties led to agreing 29th January on email.

HR Attempted to change this to 22nd last week which is what the main issue was, as she had made plans for 29th with work, pay etc.

HR Now agreed based on what I sent from Strat Docs advice so thanks everyone for their help.

Keep away from those sheep!

That's a good result. Well done!

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Handed In Notice / HR now changing date