Hand in notice now?

A question about : Hand in notice now?

My workplace has gone into administration and we're all waiting to see if it is going to be bought or if we're all made redundant. I was going to leave anyway to focus on my own business but just don't know whether I should put my notice in now or wait? Realistically, the place wont be open for more than another week or 2 if it's losing so much money so we're expecting to hear what's happening sometime this week. In the meantime, if I put my notice in now (been there for 2 years but not sure how much notice I need give) and is does go under, will this stop my entitlement to redundancy? I also thought that if I was made redundant then I might have a better chance in gaining grants with regards to moving my business forward.
I'm opening a shop soon and am just waiting for the lease to come through for me to check and sign so I could have the keys within a week.
What do you reckon, put my notice in now or wait?

Best answers:

• I would keep quiet at least give it another month or so, you dont want to loose out on redundancy money.
• I agree, if you give notice they'll be delighted they don't have to pay you any redundancy, you may not get all you're entitled to if the firm is folding, but as long as they're paying you then hold on!
  Also if you hand in notice you won't be immediately entitled to JSA if you were planning to claim, AFAIK. Sorry, I may mean that you won't be immediately entitled to contribution based JSA, I don't know, but I just have this feeling that if you leave a job of your own free will then your entitlement is less initially. Someone who knows will say if I'm right or not!
• Definately can't wait a month to hand it in as I plan to open my shop within 3 or 4 weeks. The company itself would not pay redundancy - it would be paid by the government. I wouldn't plan on going on JSA as I will have money coming in from the business.
• either way just take unpaid holiday for the time you want off then giving notice.you may loseall the benefits of redundacy if you leave.
• If the government is paying i.e. Statutory Redundancy Pay, then I think you get 1 to 1.5 weeks money for each full year worked, BUT this is capped at Ј280 per week, so if you've been there two years, then you get 2 x Ј280 = Ј560 or 2 x your weekly pay if it is less than Ј280.
  Dti website - redundancy pay calculator
  I agree that if you can take leave etc then you should use this option, but you need to decide if it is worth hanging on for the extra Ј560. I am not sure of the position regarding JSA etc but you say you would not be claiming it anyway.
• Some good advice and comments there dag. I've booked some holidays in for next week and the week after so hopefully I'll know exactly what's going on then. If the company has been bought (which looks as though is the case as there's currently 3 interested parties) then even if I put my notice in as soon as it is announced, I could walk out when I need to. I'll need time to put the shop together (shop fittings, sort out electric, water, telephone, Internet, cctv etc etc) so the holidays should come in handy as long as I get the keys by then. As a last resort then my dad will be able to keep an eye on things although I don't want to leave him on it's own during the initial stages.
• The company got bought today so I stuck my notice in. I now have found out that I have to give a months notice! I was only expecting 2 weeks! What would happen if I never came back after the 2nd week?