I'm a lame duck employee

[Cerpin Taxt]

So I recently accepted a job with a new company, and taking the job is going to require me to move from Southern California up to Seattle.

In order to contend with the move and ensure the shortest interval of unemployment between the jobs, I agreed to a start date that has left me with several weeks of working my still-current job before I will put in my 2 weeks' notice.

Consequently, I'm experiencing a lot of difficulty motivating myself to continue fulfilling the expectations of my current job. The primary example is the new weekly report that my boss instituted about a week ago. I did the first one last week, and the next one is due today.

The report is simply a "Weekly Activity Report" that describes all of the sales contacts I have made throughout the week. The thing is, I'm not really doing much in terms of developing new sales contacts because I know I'm not going to be around for very long. All I'm doing now is trying to reel in the few deals that I have outstanding that can make me some money.

I debating between totally bullsh1tting the report so as not to raise any eyebrows until I put in my notice, or simply turning in a report that is truthful but rather obviously deficient from the activities that my week would typically feature if I were still perpetuating my employment with the company.

Any suggestions?

 

[fbrdphreak]

The question is: do you want to burn bridges or not?

And if you can't afford to have some downtime between jobs, maybe you shouldn't play games like this.

Good luck

 

[PClark99]

If you can afford it, give your 2 weeks now and take a nice vacation before you start your new job.

Why potentially burn any bridges at your old place by doing substandard work, you never know if you might need to go back there in the future.

Thats what I would do.

 

[ultimatebob]

Fess up, and tell them what's going on. The more warning you give, the better chance you'll get a good reference from them in the future.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Originally posted by: fbrdphreak
The question is: do you want to burn bridges or not?

I'm not trying to burn bridges, but I'm torn between dishonestly establishing sales relationships in my marketplace knowing that I'm leaving, or dishonestly reporting sales contacts that I didn't make. If I report deficient activities, they may smell my leave coming and that could put me in jeopardy anyway (i.e. withholding my expense check and commission check).

And if you can't afford to have some downtime between jobs, maybe you shouldn't play games like this.

Ultimately, I'm trying to protect myself. I'm not trying to burn anyone. The fact is that I'm the only salesperson in LA, and the company itself is floundering. I highly doubt that they will find a replacement for me in this marketplace, so attempting to develop new relationships is fruitless.

Good luck

Thanks.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
Fess up, and tell them what's going on. The more warning you give, the better chance you'll get a good reference from them in the future.

This is what I want to do, but I have an hefty expense check that they owe me but I will not receive for a few more days. I'm afraid if I put in my notice now, they will withhold it, because they've done that in the past to other salespeople on their way out.

And the reference isn't really important to me, and I highly doubt I will ever want to go back to them, if the company is even going to be around that long.

 

[jammur21]

Instead of turning in the report, turn in your notice.

 

[cyclistca]

I would give them the notice now if you can afford to. You should take some down time between jobs.

They are obligated to pay you that check.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Originally posted by: cyclistca
I would give them the notice now if you can afford to. You should take some down time between jobs.

I can't really afford to. I'm going to have to pay rent on two places in December and foot the bill for my move right before that. I've budgeted myself pretty well, and I'm taking basically the whole week of Thanksgiving off in order to move, but I can't afford for them to withhold anything from me.

They are obligated to pay you that check.

I realize they are, but that won't stop them from trying to fight it. They've done it in the past, and I need the cash now, not after litigation.

 

[yowolabi]

Hand in your deficient report, and for the rest of your stay, do the job like the company expects you to do. Your company may or may not find another rep in the area, but that's their problem. If you're going to stay there and keep getting paid, keep doing the job.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Originally posted by: yowolabi
Hand in your deficient report, and for the rest of your stay, do the job like the company expects you to do. Your company may or may not find another rep in the area, but that's their problem.

I suppose you're right, but right now especially, the company expects me to be doing a very high amount of cold calls in comparison to previous expectations. I just don't feel right about propositioning potential customers while I know in the back of my head I'm not going to be around to follow through on anything we discuss. The nature of my business isn't one in which sales are made on the first call. It takes developing a relationship and having meetings and demonstrations, etc.

If you're going to stay there and keep getting paid, keep doing the job.

I am doing the job insofar as I'm maintaining the existing customers I have an attempting to close deals before my time expires. I just don't see the point of busting my ass with cold calls when I'm not going to be able to follow them through if I do get leads.

 

[jme5343]

I've seen situations like yours, particularly holding that last check. Not cool. Fake the report, get the check. Then give your notice. If they play stupid games like that, I'd say you can too.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Originally posted by: jmebonner
I've seen situations like yours, particularly holding that last check. Not cool. Fake the report, get the check. Then give your notice. If they play stupid games like that, I'd say you can too.

That's basically where I'm at. I don't feel good about the whole thing, one way or another, but the bottom line is I have to protect myself.