Leave Gracefully... Youíre likely to meet at a future office

Hope youíll never see your nightmare ex-boss again? Chances are you will - almost half (43%) of all UK office workers have ended up working with an ex-colleague at a new job according to new research revealed today.

With that in mind, itís a worry that the survey of over 1,200 office workers by Office Angels, the UKís leading secretarial and office support recruitment consultancy, highlighted just how many workers have a ëburning bridgesí attitude once theyíve resigned.

Notice Period No-Noís
One in three workers (38%) admit to walking out before completing their notice period

More than a quarter (30%) of employees have used their resignation to highlight what they dislike about the company

A third (35%) spend time researching their new clients/role

17% even admit to starting work for their new company whilst still in their old role! This rises to a third (32%) of Londoners

Time Watchers and Wasters
Almost half (42%) of UK workers on notice confess to scouting for venues and pondering over the guest list for their leaving night. Many also admit to engaging in a number of ëextra- curricularí activities during their working day such as taking long and drawn-out lunch breaks (25%), planning their next exotic holiday abroad (16%) and spending at least 2 hours a day catching up with old friends via email and social networking sites (13%).

Old Fashioned Values
However, the research goes on to show that notice periods donít always result in a lack of motivation and altered allegiances; 41% of all UK workers maintain that they continued to work as hard as before they handed in their resignation - not even clocking off on time!

This will be even more satisfying news to those businesses with a mature workforce. A mere 2% of the over 55s admit to slacking off during their notice period, compared with 39% of 16-24 year olds who confess to wasting at least a full week through a loss in motivation.

Friends in High Places
Whilst it may be no surprise that four out of five employees (80%) have remained friends with ex colleagues, an ambitious third (34%) admit to maintaining contact with old work ëmatesí purely for their own gain - to help them with work related issues in the future.

Commenting on the findings, David Clubb, Managing Director of Office Angels states:

ìLeaving in a blaze of glory may provide you with momentary satisfaction but it has the potential to damage your career in the long run. Think about your actions and the impact they will have on others as well as your personal reputation, after handing in your letter of resignation.î