Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Two Weeks Notice

No, I'm not giving mine! But it seems that giving your employer any notice when you are leaving has gone out the window. In the past year I've had two friends (one in the legal field and the other in marketing) who decided to switch jobs. Both people gave their employers a month's notice when they resigned. Both people were let go immediately (one that same day, the other the next day). I was really shocked that an employer would do that. Now, there are some situations where, for the security of the business, when an employee quits, they are immediately escorted out. Those people know it and expect it. For example, I have another friend who had a number of employees all quit on the same day to go to a competitor who just moved in to town. They were let go immediately and escorted from the building. But they were going to a competitor and their business is offering a service to other companies. So they were concerned about losing clients. Makes sense and the employees should expect it. But my two friends were moving on to other ventures (one moved across the country to do so!).

Lesson learned over here -- it's nice to give your notice, but don't do it unless you are prepared to be cut off from your salary immediately. It's really unfortunate that the rudeness in our society has leaked in to business ethics.

3 Thoughts From Others:

ErinOrtlund said...

Wow, that's scary. I gave 6 weeks notice when I left my Chicago job. At least a month's notice when I left my Scotland job. I had clients and I didn't want them hanging too long before they got another counselor.

Karin said...

My brother & sister-in-law are moving to Germany. They found out that when you give notice there you are expected to stay a length of time comparable to the amount of time you were with the company. So, if you've been there 20 years you may not be able to leave for six months!!

Then there's me...I gave my two weeks notice a few years ago, but the first of my last two weeks I was in Vegas visiting my sibs :) I only worked a week before I left!

Esther Forrester said...

I actually know soemone who was fired becuase his boss found out he was on the prawl for another job. this is petrifying. I think that an employer can do as he likes unless the terms of ending employment are stated in the contract.

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