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I've received a new job offer a week ago which I've accepted with an email message, I was then asked to give an admission date so they could write it down on the contract. I gave them a date but now after almost a week I've yet to receive it.

I still haven't told anything to my current employer because shouldn't I just do that when I have the contract signed?

I mean, what if I tell my employer I'm quitting and then the new one goes back on their offer? I'd end up unemployed!

Is it normal to just resign without anything signed on paper?

Sorry if this seems so basic but I'm new to this and legitimately clueless and the admission date is getting closer to my mandatory notice period which is stressing me out!

WellAdjustedSchmuck
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3 Answers3

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Contact your potential new employer by whatever the most direct means you have available is (i.e. phone is better than email) and tell that you'll have to delay starting unless they get you a formal contract by <whatever your drop dead date is>.

Most likely you'll have a contract by the end of the day.

Philip Kendall
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Is it normal to just resign without anything signed on paper?

It's something I would never suggest and something I think all people on TWP agree on (only give notice when you have a signed contract).

As Philip suggests, you should focus on reaching out to them and getting an answer as soon as possible, so you can safely give your notice period. If email is not working (it's usually a slow way of communication) try phone call or other ways of contacting them.

DarkCygnus
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    Yes, I know someone who was burned by resigning with only an informal offer, that was withdrawn – Chris H Feb 09 '24 at 14:27
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    I'd walk it back to "generally not advisable", not "never", but still worth an updoot. – fectin Feb 09 '24 at 14:35
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    And people can be burned by accepting a contract that was withdrawn or start a new job and get laid off that week. Switching jobs always has some risk. – David R Feb 09 '24 at 15:01
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It depends on the country and on the circumstances. I have worked in country where it had happened exactly on this way. We were all black workers. But not that is the usual way in the current developed world.

Normally, employer wants to protect himself and also you want to protect yourself from possible legal actions. Beside that, leave with bad cirucmstances might look very badly for you. Against it depends on the circumstances, and on the country, but what if your future employer, many years later, calls back this current job? Note, in the reality it happens quite rarely, but still possible.

What if they ask on the next job interviews, what happened with your current company? Note, guys having decade long interviewing experience, you come out better if you want to convince them about real things as about not real ones, so try to convince them about your trustability with the background that you are really trustable.

So, very likely you need to resign and you have some work contract saying a notice period, i.e. the time until you still work there (mostly, on close things what only you can - and giving time your employer to find your follower or re-organize the company to work without you).

Very likely, that it needs a written paper from you. It can be short, best if you search on the internet a template.

Important to have a copy about everything what you signed. If the company wants you to sign anything, either he should give it to you a copy, or at least they should allow to make a photo about it with your phone. In general, about everything what you sign, you are entitled to have a copy.

Gray Sheep
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    I imagine "black worker" is a slang term in your dialect for what I would say as "working off the books"/"working under the table", but that is not what my dialect or most Google hits would give for "Black worker", so I would recommend avoiding/explaining that term in English. – Mark S. Feb 10 '24 at 09:10
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    @MarkS. Black worker means inofficial work based on verbal contract, mostly to avoid paying any tax. It is illegal in most jurisdictions, particularly in Europe (having typically higher taxes and stricter control, in exchange also more services from the government). Today would it be unthinkable even in the country where I lived at the time, but not then (sociological background was that the country was only some years after the collapse of the communism, the old commie standards did not work already, but the new capitalist ones did not work yet. It was a chaotic world). – Gray Sheep Feb 24 '24 at 12:28