Teacher's Notice Period Dilemma: Does Summer Break Count or Not? Seeking Advice

Dear Team, I am a teacher working in a reputed CBSE school. Now, I have secured a better job and I need to quit my present school. As per school policy, I gave my resignation and a 3-month notice period on 7/4/2018. My notice period includes the months of April, May, and June. However, in May, we have a summer break for 25 days, from the 6th of May to the 26th of May.

Today, on 10/4/2018, I received a message from my principal stating that the notice period includes only working days, and therefore, my notice period will end in the month of July. But in my appointment letter, it is clearly mentioned that the notice period will be 3 months, not 3 months of working days.

Kindly guide me on taking the right step, and with your assistance, I will approach them. If there is a website where details regarding notice periods are available, please send me the link so that I can meet them with all the necessary documents and proofs.

Thanks and Regards,
Ajay Dorby

Unfortunately, most of the managements of private educational institutions assume their rules and regulations are unquestionable as if they are God-given. In the teaching profession, vacations are paid holidays and, as such, they have to be treated as duty for all service purposes. I am afraid whether the principal's interpretation in reckoning the notice period for resignation, excluding the intervening vacation, is right. It would be better to check with the State's Private Schools Rules.

Dear Mr. Ajay,

The reply provided by Mr. Umakanthan is appropriate as per the law. You should submit your resignation and ask the management to release you on the date when the three-month notice period is likely to be completed from the date of resignation.

Please check if there is a school manual in place where the policies are laid down.

Dear colleague,

If your appointment letter states three months' notice and not working days, then intervening holidays will be part of the notice period. It clearly looks like an afterthought by interpreting it as a working day with malicious intent to prolong your stay.

You must write to the authority that you have fulfilled the condition of the three-month notice period and that you will walk away after its completion, following the necessary formalities.

Regards,
Vinayak Nagarkar
HR Consultant