# Ethics of quitting without giving notice
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-quitting-without-giving-notice/780672
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [February 24, 2017, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-quitting-without-giving-notice/780672 "2017-02-24T22:12:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@MedellinMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MedellinMike)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2017, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-quitting-without-giving-notice/780672/1 "2017-02-24T22:12:36Z")
I’m looking for some opinions here. I thinking of quitting without giving my two weeks’ notice. Here’s the situation…
I’ve only been working at this company for about 7 weeks (since the 1st week of January). For various reasons, I’ve decided it is not the right place for me. It’s not a bad company, they’re not doing anything illegal, it’s just not right for me.
I’ll be returning to my old position at the company I previously worked for. Here’s the rub: if I start in the next two days my health insurance will restart on March 1st. If I wait one week the insurance will restart on April 1. And if I wait the full two weeks it won’t restart until May 1.
When I told my boss of my intention to quit I has assumed I would be let go in the next day or so. But he’s asked me to stay the two weeks. Without the health insurance issue, I would have no problem sticking out the two weeks.
So, if I stick around for just 1 more day, I can transition over the things I was working on, but will be leaving them in a bit of a lurch. But if I stick around I will be on my own for insurance for the next 2 months.
Thoughts?
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### Author:  [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2017, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-quitting-without-giving-notice/780672/2 "2017-02-24T22:20:15Z")
Is the soon-to-be-left workplace one where you could help the transition by working on weekends?
Is it possible to work 4 days/week for a few weeks in your future job to help the transition?
What is “the transition” exactly? Does it mean doing routine work in a routine situation, doing work during a rush period, helping the next employee catch up? If it’s routine work in a routine situation, I’d say healthcare trumps that. If it’s helping the next employee, that could be accomodated if your future employer sees the wisdom of hiring an employee who is willing to help out even after he quits.
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### Author:  [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2017, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-quitting-without-giving-notice/780672/3 "2017-02-24T22:25:58Z")
Maybe some kind of part-time arrangement?
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### Author:  [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2017, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-quitting-without-giving-notice/780672/4 "2017-02-24T22:29:11Z")
Would they give you notice of firing?
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### Author:  [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2017, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-quitting-without-giving-notice/780672/5 "2017-02-24T22:29:24Z")
Just quit. You’re not putting a 7 week job on your resume, especially since you’re returning to the previous company
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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### Author:  [@Fruitbat2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fruitbat2)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2017, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-quitting-without-giving-notice/780672/6 "2017-02-24T22:29:28Z")
You need to think of yourself first and act accordingly. That is the standard way businesses would treat you so they have no right to expect anything else back.
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### Author:  [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2017, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-quitting-without-giving-notice/780672/7 "2017-02-24T22:47:13Z")
I don’t love the sense I sometimes get that giving notice is for suckers. (nor the antagonism between workers and management).
On the other hand, given the details provided in the OP, I vote for quitting immediately and starting again at the old company sooner rather than later.
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### Author:  [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2017, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-quitting-without-giving-notice/780672/8 "2017-02-24T22:59:30Z")
> [@MikeG](#):
>
> Would they give you notice of firing?
Why would a company give an employee that just quit, a notice of firing?
For what purpose would the OP need one?
From the OP’s perspective, he’s not eligible for unemployment insurance, as he already has another job.
From the employer’s perspective, why would they want their experience rating to increase on their unemployment premiums they pay.
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### Author:  [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2017, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-quitting-without-giving-notice/780672/9 "2017-02-24T23:01:29Z")
As far as the OP’s question goes, just explain to your boss that if you stay, you’re going to lose your health insurance coverage for two months.
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### Author:  [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2017, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-quitting-without-giving-notice/780672/10 "2017-02-24T23:09:54Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#):
>
> Why would a company give an employee that just quit, a notice of firing?
I think he meant “they wouldn’t give you two weeks notice if they fired you… so do what you have to.”
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### Author:  [@Fruitbat2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fruitbat2)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2017, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-quitting-without-giving-notice/780672/11 "2017-02-24T23:11:27Z")
> [@Eureka](#):
>
> I don’t love the sense I sometimes get that giving notice is for suckers. (nor the antagonism between workers and management).
Yet, no one said either of those things.
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### Author:  [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2017, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-quitting-without-giving-notice/780672/12 "2017-02-25T01:22:04Z")
Many years ago, I asked for a raise, and my boss told me to go to hell.
I told her I was quitting, and was taking my accrued vacation time in lieu of notice.
(The VP of Operations told us both to cut it out, and so I kept my job.)
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### Author:  [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2017, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-quitting-without-giving-notice/780672/13 "2017-02-25T02:15:14Z")
I think I would give notice and hope they showed me the door sooner; like now. But if they didn’t I think I would have to stick it out and go a month uninsured.
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### Author:  [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2017, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-quitting-without-giving-notice/780672/14 "2017-02-25T04:00:34Z")
Do what works best for you. The companies you work for always will.
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### Author:  [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2017, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-quitting-without-giving-notice/780672/15 "2017-02-25T04:08:35Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#):
>
> As far as the OP’s question goes, just explain to your boss that if you stay, you’re going to lose your health insurance coverage for two months.
You could also give them the opportunity to pay for that health insurance coverage for those two months. If they’re willing to do that to keep you around for two weeks - then you get to leave in two weeks, you get health insurance, and you don’t leave them in the lurch. If they’re not willing pay for those two months of insurance, then they don’t feel like they’ll have too many problems without you and you can walk away with a clear conscience.
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2017, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-quitting-without-giving-notice/780672/16 "2017-02-25T04:39:38Z")
I had someone quit with zero notice, then use me as a reference a few years later.
I was a dick, but didn’t feel bad about it.
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### Author:  [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2017, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-quitting-without-giving-notice/780672/17 "2017-02-25T05:16:14Z")
> [@adaher](#):
>
> Do what works best for you. The companies you work for always will.
That is the correct answer in this case. You owe them nothing and they owe you nothing beyond the pay that you have earned.
Always remember, take care of yourself first and worry about charity later. I work closely with operations in a factory run by a mega-corp. We have this scenario happen all the time and, believe me, hardly one ever notices especially for short-term employees.
The only ‘ethical’ thing you can do is tell them when you are quitting and possibly why (although you don’t even owe them that). It is just a blip on the radar.
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### Author:  [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2017, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-quitting-without-giving-notice/780672/18 "2017-02-25T14:14:33Z")
> [@Fruitbat2](#):
>
> Yet, no one said either of those things.
That is the essential message of MikeG’s post.
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### Author:  [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2017, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-quitting-without-giving-notice/780672/19 "2017-02-25T14:31:01Z")
If it was seven years, I’d worry about it. Seven weeks? They won’t remember you by the time your old chair gets warm under your butt. Go.
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### Author:  [@MedellinMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MedellinMike)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2017, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ethics-of-quitting-without-giving-notice/780672/20 "2017-02-25T15:03:59Z")
So thanks for all the input, even before posting I had pretty much decided to just leave, my reasons being:
1. Health insurance, this is the only real reason I’m only giving them one day, the rest is all just justification.
2. I’ve only been there 7 weeks and am still within the company’s 90 day new employee probationary period. If they’d had any problems with me they could let me go anytime, for anything, without any special considerations.
3. In some ways, being a new hire, I’m not even a full employee yet…I’m not under their health plan yet, can’t contribute to the 401k, etc.
Really the only potential downsides that I see are that I would never be rehired by this company, or these managers, anytime down the road. I don’t foresee that being a problem.
Oh, and as far as some of the suggestions given about working part time to help the transition, that’s not really feasible as both jobs are 50+ hours a week and the job I am leaving is about a 1.5 hour commute away from home.
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