Termination

I would be grateful if you could clarify regarding my query as discussed below.

I have worked with my previous company for about 3.5 years and joined with my present employer wherein I have transferred locally.

However, the services of my current company with the government ministry is about to end after 7 months of my joining date. Accordingly, my current company issued a letter of termination with a three months period (in line with the labour law).

Now, my query is: will I face any legal problem in case I did not continue with my current company after the notice period is over? As they told me that they may continue my employment in case their services is to be renewed by the government ministry; I am planning not to continue in case I found a new company.

In the event of no legal issue, please advise if do I need to issue a letter to my company, after the notice period, stating my intention not to continue.

P.S. I am degree holder (engineer) with a valid KSE membership.

Your valuable advice is much appreciated.

Name withheld

Answer: The idea behind that three-month notice period is to give ample time for an employee whose services have been terminated to look for a new job or adequate time to prepare and leave the country. On the other hand, if termination is at the behest of the employee, the notice period will give the employer ample time to get a suitable replacement for the employee.

Now coming back to your question, our position is that, after the expiry of the three-month notice period, your contractual obligations with the company will be over and there won’t be any need for you to write any letter expressing your wish not to renew your ties with them. If they needed you that badly they would have kept you under company sponsorship until such time that they were convinced that the project with the government will not be renewed. They can therefore not terminate your services and expect you to sit down and wait to see if their project will be renewed. In short, you will face no legal action if you join another company after the three-month notice period.