I used to think giving two weeks notice was a law in the same way that turning the little light on in the backseat of the car was illegal. It's this weird thing that was passed down from the older generation and just stuck somehow.
This was such a great read. I've always left jobs giving them at least a month notice. I think that's just ingrained in me because I don't want to "burn any bridges" even though some of these jobs were pretty chaotic and crappy workplaces and I honestly didn't want to keep any bridges alive after leaving. Your former co-worker seems like such a cool badass which is wild because they have every right to just up and leave without notice. It shouldn't be considered a rebellious act at all.
I think a big part of giving two weeks’ notice also has to do with wanting to maintain a good enough relationship with your employer to get a recommendation for a job in the future, which I guess is null if you already scored a new job. This past summer, I quit with zero notice for the first time from a food job that was causing a repetitive stress injury and didn’t feel worthwhile to give them notice. It felt liberating to be able to do it for once :)
I would always give ample notice to employers out a sense of self-importance; they were always good at letting me feel like the place would crumble if I didn’t give 110%. Accepting that you can walk away from a company at the drop of a hat requires also accepting how unimportant you are to the company. Tough to swallow, but a necessary step in having a clear-eyed relationship to work.
Thank you for this. Been in a great company for 3 years and gave them my everything. A new VP of my department took over as well as number of higher ups. They’re all very corporate (I work for a start up that’s about 6 yrs old) , and have changed the culture I used to love. I covered for my boss who went on maternity leave while simultaneously caring for my dying father. Upon her return we discussed my long awaited promotion. Her and the new VP wrote me up a job description and everything. Only to pull the rug from under me and give me no good reason for deciding I wasn’t getting it. They instead hired someone on the outside to take a different but similar role. After that they gave me the lowest raise possible while telling me I exceeded I reaching all the goals we set for me this year.
That was the last straw, and I decided I’m not giving them a 2 week notice. I find myself still looking it up though as I have never, ever in my 20 plus years done that. But I feel like I’ve been so mistreated after all I’ve done for them that I can’t forgive it. And honestly whatever bridge gets burned isn’t one I ever cared to cross again anyway. I’m doing this for my dad, and for me.
Thank you for posting this, it continues to confirm my decision once I find a new job.
Reason #1: So you’ll get a good reference next time you send out your resume. Also employers talk, and you especially don’t want to get a bad reputation in a smaller town.
I used to think giving two weeks notice was a law in the same way that turning the little light on in the backseat of the car was illegal. It's this weird thing that was passed down from the older generation and just stuck somehow.
This was such a great read. I've always left jobs giving them at least a month notice. I think that's just ingrained in me because I don't want to "burn any bridges" even though some of these jobs were pretty chaotic and crappy workplaces and I honestly didn't want to keep any bridges alive after leaving. Your former co-worker seems like such a cool badass which is wild because they have every right to just up and leave without notice. It shouldn't be considered a rebellious act at all.
I think a big part of giving two weeks’ notice also has to do with wanting to maintain a good enough relationship with your employer to get a recommendation for a job in the future, which I guess is null if you already scored a new job. This past summer, I quit with zero notice for the first time from a food job that was causing a repetitive stress injury and didn’t feel worthwhile to give them notice. It felt liberating to be able to do it for once :)
I love holding the discomfort of this idea!
I would always give ample notice to employers out a sense of self-importance; they were always good at letting me feel like the place would crumble if I didn’t give 110%. Accepting that you can walk away from a company at the drop of a hat requires also accepting how unimportant you are to the company. Tough to swallow, but a necessary step in having a clear-eyed relationship to work.
Thank you for this. Been in a great company for 3 years and gave them my everything. A new VP of my department took over as well as number of higher ups. They’re all very corporate (I work for a start up that’s about 6 yrs old) , and have changed the culture I used to love. I covered for my boss who went on maternity leave while simultaneously caring for my dying father. Upon her return we discussed my long awaited promotion. Her and the new VP wrote me up a job description and everything. Only to pull the rug from under me and give me no good reason for deciding I wasn’t getting it. They instead hired someone on the outside to take a different but similar role. After that they gave me the lowest raise possible while telling me I exceeded I reaching all the goals we set for me this year.
That was the last straw, and I decided I’m not giving them a 2 week notice. I find myself still looking it up though as I have never, ever in my 20 plus years done that. But I feel like I’ve been so mistreated after all I’ve done for them that I can’t forgive it. And honestly whatever bridge gets burned isn’t one I ever cared to cross again anyway. I’m doing this for my dad, and for me.
Thank you for posting this, it continues to confirm my decision once I find a new job.
Reason #1: So you’ll get a good reference next time you send out your resume. Also employers talk, and you especially don’t want to get a bad reputation in a smaller town.