Offered a new Job - Resignation/Notice advice needed

[Lopéz]

The reason that you being off sick didn't come up in conversation is that an interviewer is highly unlikely to ask "Are you off sick at the moment?". There are, however, likely to be questions such as "Tell me a bit about your current role and responsibilities", "Talk me through your last 20 years at Company X" or "What is it that's made you look for another role" - all of which would have been your cue to explain your present circumstances.

You haven't lied, but you also haven't been transparent, and that may well come back to bite you now.

With regards to your notice period, you should have known what your notice period is when you interviewed for another role, were you not asked? Maybe it never came up in conversation...
It's a critical piece of information for any employer as everything hangs off the date that you are expected to start, so I'm surprised it's being discussed post offer.

I have made an offer to a candidate who couldn't confirm their notice period - contractually it was 3 months, but the candidate was hoping he could negotiate that down to 1 month.
As an employer, I understood this and allowed him a week post-acceptance to try and negotiate this before confirming a start date.
He asked, they said no, we had to wait the 3 months.
The difference here is that he was totally transparent pre-offer, so we could make an informed business decision as to how we proceeded.
It doesn't sound like that is the case with your situation.

I know this might sound negative, but if I was your new employer and these things started coming out I would have alarm bells ringing all over the place right now.
Assuming they still want you as the facts emerge, I'd be surprised if they don't put you on a fairly strict probation plan and watch you like a hawk...

 

[Gimpymoo]

If after being

I think the first step here is find out what type of reference your company provides, factual or detailed. That will dictate how you proceed

The reason that you being off sick didn't come up in conversation is that an interviewer is highly unlikely to ask "Are you off sick at the moment?". There are, however, likely to be questions such as "Tell me a bit about your current role and responsibilities", "Talk me through your last 20 years at Company X" or "What is it that's made you look for another role" - all of which would have been your cue to explain your present circumstances.

You haven't lied, but you also haven't been transparent, and that may well come back to bite you now.

With regards to your notice period, you should have known what your notice period is when you interviewed for another role, were you not asked? Maybe it never came up in conversation...
It's a critical piece of information for any employer as everything hangs off the date that you are expected to start, so I'm surprised it's being discussed post offer.

I have made an offer to a candidate who couldn't confirm their notice period - contractually it was 3 months, but the candidate was hoping he could negotiate that down to 1 month.
As an employer, I understood this and allowed him a week post-acceptance to try and negotiate this before confirming a start date.
He asked, they said no, we had to wait the 3 months.
The difference here is that he was totally transparent pre-offer, so we could make an informed business decision as to how we proceeded.
It doesn't sound like that is the case with your situation.

I know this might sound negative, but if I was your new employer and these things started coming out I would have alarm bells ringing all over the place right now.
Assuming they still want you as the facts emerge, I'd be surprised if they don't put you on a fairly strict probation plan and watch you like a hawk...

All of that is fair.

Not going to spill my personal life on here but my work has been contributing indirectly to the ill health and I need to get out of there and yes, I am getting better and having that time has allowed me to see that after going back after the first time and am now at the end of the recovery and where by I have not seen it before and rather than complain and do nothing, I chose to try and change it. Having been with the same employer for nearly over 15 years with maybe 10 instances of sickness, 2 of them being long term sick (this time including) I do not believe I am a bad employee, I honestly wish I had not had to deal with these issues.

Although I desperately wanted the new Job, I honestly just wanted to get "out there" and get used to interviews again as it has been a LONG time since I interviewed but being offered the job was both a surprise and a realisation that there is an alternative but it was never an intention to "mislead".

I will take what happens from here on as a lesson in life, if the offer is removed, I will stay where I am for another 6 months and then try again but it is good to know I am "employable" elsewhere, kind of.

 

[Housey]

Most people who have worked for a fair time will have had moments where they hate their work life. That is the time you plan your next move in my experience. Spend time researching the companies of interest, get into a recruitment process and start interviewing with those companies. Get you head into the space of "I am now moving jobs and I want to focus on getting the next role" and the interview focus will be laser sharp compared to "think I want a new job". So many people interview to toe in the water, they are not committed to that process and it usually shows.

Good luck.

 

[Demon]

I suspect your current employer will be glad to part ways, so just follow the process and state you’d like to give 4 weeks notice in your resignation letter.
I’d also offer to use your holiday up as part of the notice period, I.e. minimise anytime they may wish to call you in, however as people are pointing out, you are just going to have to suck things up if they point out the obviousness of the situation.. but have a tough skin and you’ll be fine.