Employee resigns, serves notice period—then HR asks him to do it again months later

A notice period dispute at a workplace based in India shared on Reddit has drawn wide attention recently. The case shows how confusion around notice periods and internal HR changes can create serious problems for employees trying to leave a job.

According to a report by The Economic Times, the employee worked as a designer at the a Delhi based company. In 2025, he formally resigned and agreed with the HR department that his last working day would be October 1.

This timeline was in line with the notice period mentioned in his contract. However, shortly before his exit date, an HR representative contacted him with a request. The HR team asked him to stay on until February because the design team was short staffed.

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The email also mentioned that if he left before February, he would still need to serve a 30 day notice period.

Wanting to be supportive and assuming the matter was settled, the employee agreed and continued working for several more months.

By the time February arrived, he believed he had more than fulfilled his notice obligations and decided to resign again. This is where the situation took an unexpected turn.

When he submitted his resignation in February, a new HR representative responded. The new HR told him that the earlier agreement could not be accepted because the previous HR executive had left the company.

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As a result, the company claimed that the employee now had to serve a fresh two month notice period as stated in his original employment contract.

The employee said he felt shocked and frustrated, as he believed the extension had already been agreed upon in writing and honored in good faith.

The employee shared his experience on Reddit, particularly in Indian workplace related communities. In his posts, he described the office environment as “toxic” and said he had stayed longer only because the team was small and he did not want to leave them struggling.

When the company refused to recognize the earlier email, he said he felt trapped and even considered leaving without formally completing the new notice period.

Many Reddit users responded with advice and opinions. Several commentors pointed that an email sent by HR remains valid even if that HR employee later leaves the organisation.

They argued that a company cannot dismiss written communication simply because the sender is no longer employed there.

Others advised the employee to keep records of all emails and ask the company to explain in writing why the earlier agreement was being ignored.

Some users suggested legal options such as consulting a labour lawyer or approaching a labour court, though they also warned that these processes can be slow and stressful.

A few commenters took a more practical view, saying that if employee did not need an experience letter or formal clearance, he could choose to walk away.

The case has sparked wider discussion about notice period practices, employee rights and the importance of getting clear and contract backed agreements when resigning.

It also shows how platforms like Reddit have become key spaces where workers share real experiences and seek advice when formal workplace systems fails them.