Am I a total bastard for only giving two weeks notice?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’m the IT infrastructure manager at a small services company. I manage a team of six. I’ve been here for close to ten years, and have been here longer than anyone else on the senior management team. My photo is on the web site.

The CEO/owner and I are cordial, but not close. I’ve been told in no uncertain terms that my desire for equity is never gonna happen. A few years ago, he reneged on a verbal deal we had concerning tuition reimbursement, where he walked back on a promise to pick up the full tab for my MBA, instead kicking in the normal IRS yearly limit, which cost me about $60k.

Lately, after a few retirements and replacements on the management team, the chemistry has changed. I’ve been generally happy, but have lately been suffering from more than a little ennui. I’ve done everything there is to do within my role, and the next few years look like more of the same.

I’ve recently had a really, really great opportunity fall in to my lap. Less responsibility, fewer hours, nicer clients, more pay (+25%), and better advancement potential. The duties are right in my wheelhouse, and I can see myself having a big positive impact.

Everyone I’ve interviewed with at the new place has been effusive about me, and I’ve been told by their internal headhunter to expect a written offer this afternoon.

The sticking point: They want me to start in two weeks. The team I’d be stepping in to manage is currently leaderless, and suffered from poor leadership for a time before that, to the point that it’s affecting revenue They need somebody to parachute in and stop the bleeding ASAP.

Given that they’re the ones who asked me out, I negotiated strenuously. I got more salary, a better title, and more time off, but the one thing they refused to move on was the start date. I tried get it a month out, but they’re not having it.

My team will eventually be fine. There’s no obvious replacement for me; the guy with the best technical chops and most business knowledge is severely lacking in the managerial soft skills. I recently hired someone who has the background and temperament to eventually fill my shoes, but it’ll take some time for him to learn the business. My original plan was to get him fully up to speed before I started looking elsewhere, but there’s no time for that now.

On the one hand, I don’t want to make loyalty to my soon-to-be old job a dealbreaker with the new one.

On the other hand, my Roman Codependent upbringing is making me feel like a total asshole.

For what it’s worth, I’m already working on a transition plan, and I don’t see anything on the list of things I do or projects I’m running that can’t be handled by someone else. Not that there won’t be stumbles and missteps and a little bit of chaos, but my supposed irreplaceability extends only as far as others’ desire not to have to deal with the shit I deal with.

So… am I a jerk for giving two weeks - well 12 business days - notice in this situation?

2

Two weeks is the standard notice time in the business world. Some professions (nurses, I think) may have a 4 week standard for notice.

I left a position somewhat similar to yours. I had been there a long time, was pretty valuable to the business and they had no good option for replacement. I gave two weeks notice and that was acceptable. I think you’re perfectly fine.

3
  1. Two weeks notice is standard. 12 days is more than plenty.
  2. As the CEO/owner told you, it’s never going to be your company. Why the fuck do you care what happens to it?
  3. Your CEO sound like a shitbag. Why the fuck do you care what happens to his company?
  4. I’m sure your team will eventually figure it out. If they don’t, it’s not your problem.
4

Get over your guilt. This is totally fine. Take the new job, don’t look back. It would be ridiculous to turn down the offer because they refused (with good reason) to give you a month to your start date.

5

It sounds to me like two weeks is perfectly appropriate. It’s the custom for most jobs. I’m an IT person as well (though not a manager) and I’ve never given more than two weeks notice.

I once had an employer tell me I’d go on the “do not rehire” list if I gave less than four weeks notice. This was a university and about the worst job I ever had, so it did not bother me. When the boss told me that, I briefly contemplated walking out immediately, but I did stick around for the two weeks. That’s the only place I ever heard of that thought they were too good for two weeks notice. They had a terribly misplaced faith in their prestige.

6

Good points all around.

I need to shitcan my bourgeois anxiety and start thinking of myself as a replaceable cog, and I mean that sincerely.

7

Type up your two sentence resignation letter and hand it in now. Just get it over with.

8

Funny story:

Sales were up last year, but off target. The VP of Sales, who had been here almost as long as me and had pretty decent success over the years, was demoted to a line sales guy and we were all informed that the boss was looking for a replacement.

The former VP resigned (with notice, natch) after he had another position lined up a month later. The boss has since acted sincerely pained that Demoted Guy had the temerity to actually quit. Like this place is so great that somebody who had just been publicly humiliated would want to continue to work here.

Maybe I’ve been in management too long. I need to lay off the Kool Aid.

9

Nothing is stopping you from leaving today, the company should consider itself lucky that they received two weeks notice.

10

Enjoy your great, new job without any doubt or guilt.

11

Do not do this until you have your offer letter in hand. If the other job falls through at the last second, you don’t want to be out of work.

ETA: I work in IT, as a Test Manager. 2 weeks is totally appropriate.

12

Your CEO sounds like an ass. Leave and don’t look back.

13

In all likelihood, the boss will tell you to be gone by the end of the week (if not sooner), so make sure you’ve got a place to land. Most companies don’t want you hanging around for two weeks poisoning the well and possibly getting up to mischief, especially when you work in IT.

14

Many employers can and do lay people off without a moment’s notice (in the USA). They have no loyalty towards you. As such, they don’t deserve any back. Two weeks notice is more than generous.

Not only that, since your CEO refuses to give you equity, he’s basically encouraging you to leave. You reap what you sow.

Get your job offer, submit your two weeks notice, and then walk out standing tall and with more money.

15

Oh yeah. I’m not doing anything until I get the offer and turn it in, which will likely be within the hour. Boss is out of town until tomorrow, so I’ll get some face time with him first thing.

16

True. Especially if he thinks you’re ticked, he doesn’t want you around sabotaging the network. That wouldn’t be unusual.

Somehow, though, I’ve never got the “Thanks for your notice, you can leave now” routine. I’ve always hoped an employer would so I could have extra time off, but no such luck. Maybe next time!

17

Think of it this way: if you were going to be fired, how much notice would your boss give you? You don’t owe them anything more in return. Two weeks is courteous and the right thing to do to aid in continuity, assuming there’s no reason why you need to GTFO immediately.

18

I’ll echo everyone else, you are fine. If the top management doesn’t want people to leave, they can start treating them with respect, but these types never get it.

Just one hint - do not tell your boss where you are going. That is your business, not his. Not saying where you are going is standard practice in Silicon Valley these days.

19

Not at all. Stop worrying about it.

20

No argument with any of this, but I’ll note that 2 weeks notice is fine even if the company is the best place ever and your boss is an awesome stand-up guy. You should feel absolutely no guilt.

I’ll also echo Chefguy that it’s entirely possible you’ll be shown the door even sooner. We do that with maybe 75% of the people who quit at my company - not because we’re mad, just because it’s better to move on as quick as possible. We keep people around only as long as needed for a smooth transition.