Yet Another Job Thread - two weeks notice

Juddog

Diamond Member
Dec 11, 2006
7,851
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81
To those of you with more serious / involved jobs, one where you've worked months on something, do you still give 2 weeks notice when you find a better job (higher salary, better benefits, etc.), or do you try to go for a longer notice period to wrap everything up that you've been working on?
 

SMOGZINN

Lifer
Jun 17, 2005
14,221
4,452
136
Two weeks notice still. A relationship with a company is not personal. The two week notice is already a courtesy they would not give me.
 

Juddog

Diamond Member
Dec 11, 2006
7,851
6
81
Two weeks notice still. A relationship with a company is not personal. The two week notice is already a courtesy they would not give me.

Hmm true I suppose; last time I was laid off my "notice" was basically "you have 2 hours to get your stuff and leave".

I guess the debate in my mind was triggered from working on things so intensely and spending hours after work (salaried, so basically working for free) to get things done in the right way.
 

smackababy

Lifer
Oct 30, 2008
27,024
79
86
It depends on when you're next job starts, but more than two weeks is really being generous. Sure, it sucks for them to have to replace someone valuable (assuming you're not worthless =3 ), but people leave. Any reasonable employer understands that.
 

DesiPower

Lifer
Nov 22, 2008
15,299
740
126
2 weeks,

1. anything more is not really helpful, generally unless the project you are working on ends in 3 or 4 weeks, its of no use.
2. The other company might not wait, no use risking it.
 

DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
40,730
670
126
Two weeks, and be prepared to be escorted out of the building by security as soon as you give it.

I ended up doing some contract development work on weekends for one previous employer after I left, but that isn't typical.
 

justoh

Diamond Member
Jun 11, 2013
3,686
81
91
Just do what you'd be comfortable/happy doing with your particular circumstances in mind, very little of which has been explained. I don't see how asking people to repeat the standard or average notice period would help in what seems like a difficult, personal decision for you. Plus they might get this wrong and there are probably better ways to ascertain this average than asking on a forum. Even if you provided more details it would be unwise to follow suggestions from people who necessarily have far less knowledge about the situation. Just saying.
 

Hayabusa Rider

Admin Emeritus & Elite Member
Jan 26, 2000
50,879
4,266
126
To clarify - you wouldn't give them a two week notice if you received an offer for a better position elsewhere?

My field has become saturated so finding another job is difficult. My company is known as one of the worst to work for and has made things so difficult and stressful that we've had deaths on the job. My health has taken a hit as well. I feel no obligation in this case.
 

AViking

Platinum Member
Sep 12, 2013
2,264
1
0
If you terminate the relationship 2 weeks is more than generous. You will always have a project half done. If you stayed to finish a project you could be there for months and that makes no sense.

If they terminate the relationship they give you zero days.

You should be moving on with life and enjoying your new job. Don't waste time with the old one. Be professional, make the transition smooth, and leave 2 weeks later.
 

Wardawg1001

Senior member
Sep 4, 2008
653
1
81
I think the proper course of action is based on the situation. If you are one of hundreds doing the same job and there will be very little affect if you leave without notice, then theres really no harm done. If you are managing 6 projects and have a very specialized skill set that is not easily replaceable, then that is a different story and, assuming the terms of your quitting are not due to improper treatment by the company, might even warrant you giving more than just 2 weeks (assuming also that your other job offer will still be on the table after whatever period of time is deemed needed - you certainly don't owe them 4 weeks notice if the job offer expires in 3 weeks, regardless of any other factors).

My primary issue with the two weeks notice standard is of course that most companies will never give you the same courtesy. Now there are many good reasons for that, not the least of which is that someone who knows hes about to be fired has very little incentive to follow the rules or put forth any real effort in their work. Bitter employees may indeed act out, making work for everyone else unpleasant, or may actively try to harm the companies image in their last few days (be rude to customers, sabotage the project they were on, etc). So while it is a bit of a double standard, its an understandable one.

This brings up another concern as well though - you may be 'let go' as soon as you give your two weeks notice. This is basically done for the same reasons as why companies don't give a notice before firing people. I worked at a call center some years ago, and two or three days after giving my two week notice I was called by someone in the HR dept and told that 'my resignation had been accepted' and not to come in any more. This situation is less likely to happen if you have unique skill sets or are of some significant value to your company I suppose. But as one of several hundred employees, the risk that I might do something bad far outweighed their need to have me come in to work for another week and a half. Either way, its something to consider, especially if your other position does not start immediately and are dependent on receiving your final paycheck from your current employer. If its 'you vs them', don't hesitate to shift the burden on to them if you think theres a good chance they are going to screw you, because they won't give you the benefit of the doubt unless its in their own best interest.
 

brandonb

Diamond Member
Oct 17, 2006
3,731
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I'm perfectly fine with giving a 2 week notice. I've been fired in the past and was given 2 months of salary as a "Hey. We're firing you but we don't want to leave you hanging either." Respect is a two way street. I will give respect to the company and give them 2 weeks if they respect me in return. Some jobs they don't respect you. And I've walked off the job. Depends really. For example. I put in my 2 weeks at one place. They tried to convince me to stay with a pay bump. Then I overheard the CEO tell the manager "When he is finished with this current assignment, fire him." The CEO also told another coworker (in which they relayed the info to me) and said "I'd never hire someone like him again." Before I even left the job. Of course when I heard of those two things. I just packed up my stuff and left.
 
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ThinClient

Diamond Member
Jan 28, 2013
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If an employer isn't required to give you two weeks notice, what makes them think that they deserve one for themselves?
 

smackababy

Lifer
Oct 30, 2008
27,024
79
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If an employer isn't required to give you two weeks notice, what makes them think that they deserve one for themselves?

Because nobody is going to call me asking for an employer reference, however, my next couple jobs might call asking how I was at the company. And if I just up and left one day, why wouldn't I do the same at a new job?
 

ThinClient

Diamond Member
Jan 28, 2013
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Because nobody is going to call me asking for an employer reference, however, my next couple jobs might call asking how I was at the company. And if I just up and left one day, why wouldn't I do the same at a new job?

The only two questions that they are allowed to ask are the dates of your employment and whether or not you are eligible for rehire. Anything else opens them up for a MAJOR lawsuit in your favor because literally every other question to ask is against the law to ask.

Besides, you can explain to a new employer, "I left abruptly because their gross safety negligence was going to get me or a coworker killed" or "I left abruptly because I received a much better job offer from the company that I just left and that company gave me less than 2 weeks to consider the offer but I needed the pay increase to support my family" blah blah blah.

Your future employer isn't a machine. They're human beings who can make value judgments.
 
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Wardawg1001

Senior member
Sep 4, 2008
653
1
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The only two questions that they are allowed to ask are the dates of your employment and whether or not you are eligible for rehire. Anything else opens them up for a MAJOR lawsuit in your favor because literally every other question to ask is against the law to ask.

Besides, you can explain to a new employer, "I left abruptly because their gross safety negligence was going to get me or a coworker killed" or "I left abruptly because I received a much better job offer from the company that I just left and that company gave me less than 2 weeks to consider the offer but I needed the pay increase to support my family" blah blah blah.

Your future employer isn't a machine. They're human beings who can make value judgments.

First off, this is pervasive and potentially damaging myth that employers are only allowed to ask about certain basic things like dates of employment or what not. With few exceptions (mostly by state law), a potential employer can ask just about anything they want, and the reference can answer any question - truthfully. Certain obvious things are off limit such as questions about race/sex/religion/sexual preference, basically all the same things that employers aren't allowed to ask on a job application. But questions about performance, discipline, terms of departure, etc are very much allowed, and you only have a legal recourse if the reference lies about this information.

Now the reason people often cite this myth if that it is sort of a half truth. Many companies, larger ones especially, have very strict policies about what their HR people are allowed to give answers to, and some might even have policies about what they can ask. This is company policy, not state/federal law. Its done of course to protect the company, since the possibility of a law suit is there if the HR person gives out false information (whether intentionally or not), and they aren't getting anything out of sharing negative information with another company anyways - why take the risk?

But that is the extent of it, and you can and should assume that much more than your dates of employment are going to be disclosed. You should most definitely assume that information about your termination will be disclosed, particularly who initiated it and what the reason was. I'm inclined to think 'did they give a two week notice' isn't likely to be an oft asked question, or at least not one of much importance, but its certainly on the table.

With that out of the way - what makes you think you'll even be given an opportunity to respond? Your prospective employer doesn't have to give you a reason for why they didn't hire you, and even if they do give you an answer they can just make something up - which they would most certainly do if its information they shouldn't have obtained in the first place. If whatever they heard from your previous employer is enough to make them think twice about hiring you, you've probably already been passed up for another candidate.
 

rudder

Lifer
Nov 9, 2000
19,441
86
91
I think your new employer would look favorably on you giving your current employer two weeks notice. If I were just quitting because the job sucked... Two hours notice is fine.
 

Retro Rob

Diamond Member
Apr 22, 2012
8,150
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I think your new employer would look favorably on you giving your current employer two weeks notice. If I were just quitting because the job sucked... Two hours notice is fine.

Two weeks always, no matter the job or circumstances. You never know if you'll have to go back so try not to burn any bridges.

Secondly, IMO, any potential employer not willing to wait the two weeks probably isn't worth working for anyway.
 

jetlitheone

Member
Apr 19, 2008
43
0
61
Two weeks, anything more is ridiculous.

And less if you really hated the place. But not too professional IMO
 

ThinClient

Diamond Member
Jan 28, 2013
3,977
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I gave zero minutes notice at a place I loathed because I was a tiny cog in a huge machine. Didn't feel bad one bit. I gave a month's notice for a place I only kinda-hated because I was integral to the business function. Also, I could start training my replacement (though the job really takes a couple months to learn the basics).
 

BlitzPuppet

Platinum Member
Feb 4, 2012
2,460
7
81
I gave 1.5 or a week notice when I took my current job. They offered me a position towards the end of the month, I had to start on the last day of the month in order to be eligible for healthcare so I explained that to my then current boss and they were okay with it.

Gotta do what you gotta do, customers were pissed/sad that I left but they understood. Former Boss actually asked if I would consider coming back so I guess that means I left on good teams.