Notice Period Confusion: What Happens When It's Missing from the Appointment Letter?

Please let me know what would be the notice period that is to be served by a resigned employee whose appointment letter does not contain the notice period clause.

This is surprising—NO, repeat NO, Appointment Letter should miss such a crucial factor from its contents, unless the HR concerned is absolutely inept in drafting the Appointment Letter format. Can you give more details of the case or situation? That would enable the members of this forum to suggest more constructively and realistically. Are YOU the employee concerned, or are you from the HR department of the company concerned?

Regards,
TS

It came as a surprise to me when I heard that the NP clause is not mentioned in the AL. An appointment letter is a powerful tool by which HR can have control over the people. However, in your case, I feel it does not serve the purpose.

Frankly speaking, an employee is not required to serve the notice period when the appointment letter does not mention the same.

If the Notice Period (NP) is missing, then you are not required to serve a NP. It's really surprising that only the NP is missing. I have come across Appointment Letters (AP) not having a retirement age.

Check if your AP includes a retirement age. If not, then legally, you can work in that company for a lifetime. Check the retirement age and let us know.

Normally, organizations stipulate either one month or three months, which is the standard practice. The objective of the notice period is to enable the organization to look for a replacement either internally or through external recruitment. Perhaps your organization has no intention of replacing any employees who leave the organization!

Well, it is surprising how someone in HR can be so irresponsible when preparing an appointment letter. Anyways, since the notice period is not mentioned in the appointment letter, you are not supposed to serve the notice period. However, if the HR is not a responsible person and has made a mistake, it does not mean you should do the same. Therefore, as a responsible employee, it is better to properly hand over the task or complete your tasks at a level where they can be handed over to another person. Make sure to complete the formalities in a positive manner before leaving the company.