How to Handle Losing a Worker at Short Notice
Landid Blog No.005
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You’ve just found out that one of your guys is leaving at short notice. It’s frustrating, especially when you’re already juggling projects. Here’s how you can handle it while keeping things professional.
The Problem: Employees Leaving at Short Notice
Imagine this. You’ve just found out that one of your employees is leaving or needs to take personal leave suddenly—and they’re not giving you the notice period you expected. It’s frustrating, especially when you’re already juggling tight schedules and deadlines. So, what can you do? Here’s how to handle it while keeping things fair and professional.
Start by reviewing their employment contract. It should outline how much notice they’re required to give and what leave entitlements they have. If they’re not following it, you may have some options to find a solution that works for everyone.
The Fair Work Australia Ombudsman has clear rules about notice periods and final pay. You can check the details to see what's standard industry practice here: https://www.fairwork.gov.au/ending-employment/notice-and-final-pay
Once you've done your research, find a time and place to have a chat about it. Find out why they’re leaving so quickly. Sometimes, personal reasons or a new job start date can impact their decision. A conversation might help you appreciate where they're coming from and to work out a fair solution for everyone.
If they’re leaving sooner than expected, see how you can shuffle things around. Can other team members cover? Do you need to look into a temp worker or subcontracting? Planning ahead can help prevent project disruption and impacts to the rest of your team.
Once the dust settles, it might be time reflect on how to improve things moving forward. Do you need to update your employment contracts with a stronger notice policy to help avoid last-minute exits? Would making changes to your hiring process or how you manage your team give you more visibility of personnel issues? Could you offer better incentives for employees to stay or consider other talent retention strategies to avoid losing employees in the future? And so on.
The Bottom Line
It’s never ideal when an employee leaves suddenly. But knowing your rights, having clear contracts, and staying flexible can make the transition smoother. When in doubt, check Fair Work Australia to stay compliant and avoid legal headaches.
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