Policy Adopted on 15/04/2021 / Revised on 04/07/2023 and will be reviewed Q2 2024– Revision 2.0
1. Policy Statement
Although Revive hopes that employment with us will be a mutually rewarding experience, it is understood that sometimes circumstances cause employees to voluntarily resign employment. Should this time come, employees are asked to follow the guidelines below regarding notice and exit procedures.
2. Reason for Policy
The following policy outlines the protocol to be followed by an employee who makes the decision to resign and provides support for managers on the points to consider before the resignation takes effect.
3. Who Should Read This Policy
All staff members
4. Resources
- This policy is part of the Staff Handbook found on The Way We Work platform – https://twww.revivechurch.uk
5. The Policy
If a member of the Revive staff decides not to continue in their role and terminates their employment the following protocol will apply.
5.1 Notice of resignation
When an employee makes the decision to resign, they should submit this to their manager in writing. This should be reflective of the notice period outlined in their contract of employment. A verbal resignation cannot be accepted, and the employee will be asked to confirm it in writing as soon as possible (an email is satisfactory).
Unless there is an agreement in place between the employee and the church, the expectation is that the employee will continue to work during the notice period.
5.2 Acknowledgment
The church will acknowledge the resignation in writing once received from the employee. The letter of acknowledgement will confirm the last working day for the employee and outline any final payments and the return of church property that they have in their possession. Furthermore, any repayments of debts owed to the church, such as training costs or loans, will be notified to the employee in this letter.
5.3 Withdrawal of resignation
Once the notice of resignation has been submitted, an employee will not usually be allowed to withdraw it. Specialist HR advice may need to be taken if an employee requests to withdraw their resignation.
5.4 Pay in lieu of notice
An employee can be paid their notice in lieu, if agreed by the church (subject to the terms outlined in the contract of employment). This means that their contract of employment will cease immediately, and the employee will receive payment equivalent to what they would have received during their notice period.
5.5 Garden leave
An employee can be put on garden leave for the length of the notice period. The employee continues to be employed by the church during their notice period and will receive their normal pay and benefits but will not be expected to attend work, unless specifically requested by their manager.
5.6 Managing holiday during the notice period
An employee who is working their notice period or is on garden leave will continue to accrue holidays. It is an expectation that employees will be required to take any outstanding holiday during the notice period. However, in certain circumstances the requirements of the church may restrict holidays being taken by the employee during the notice period. In this scenario, the manager will inform the employee and they will receive a payment in lieu of annual leave once the notice period has been completed.
If the number of accrued holidays has been exceeded, then church will reduce the employee’s final payment by an equivalent number of days (in accordance with the terms in the contract of employment).
5.7 Completion and handover of work
Throughout the notice period, the church expects the employee to complete their daily role as well as a handover for any ongoing work, in agreement with their manager.
5.8 Exit interview
Before their employment ends, the employee may be invited to attend an exit interview with their manager.
The aim of the exit interview is to understand the reasons for the employee leaving the church, and to identify any changes that could be made within the church in the long term. Within the exit interview, the return of any church property that the employee has in their possession will also be discussed and arranged.
5.9 Restrictive covenants
The church will inform the employee of the presence and parameters of any restrictive covenants contained in their contract of employment, if applicable.
If the restrictive covenant is breached, and a resolution cannot be found informally, the church will consider applying for a temporary injunction to prevent the employee engaging in the restricted activity, prior to obtaining a permanent injunction.