Giving Notice to Really Bad Employers...

In My Humble Opinion
41

[QUOTE=InappropriateHumor]
In my experience the sales positions, or jobs in which you are privy to rate/product information, are the most likely ones to walk you out. They’re afraid you’ll raid the files, steal the clients and piss in their potted palms. (or whatever)

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Showing that they are idiots, and never consider that if you were planning to steal information, you’d do it before you gave notice.

In The Pentium Chronicles a book by the Chief Architect of the Pentium Pro (excellent, by the way) he talks about the old Intel policy of searching your bag when you leave. I’m not sure what they were looking for, since they never found (innocent) floppies that I carried out. He was senior enough not to get searched, but finally complained by telling security and senior management that if any of the people who worked for him couldn’t get information out, they were too stupid to be employed there.

42

[QUOTE=Valgard]

Often an employer will take that 2 weeks’ notice and say “Tell you what, here’s 2 weeks’ pay and you leave now” to avoid having a lame duck around the office. The worst that they can do is tell you to get out now which amounts to quitting on no notice but at least you did your part.

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The worst they can do is walk you to the door and not pay you for the two weeks notice you gave. Which they don’t have to do. And if you need that money to make rent, and you are going to get walked anyway, requiring your coworkers to perform feats of heroism to cover for you, no one is hurt by you walking.

I think two weeks is a noble and professional thing to do. I think giving two weeks notice if you need the money and suspect you’ll be walked without getting paid for those two weeks is stupid.

43

[QUOTE=Cervaise]
I will second everybody’s advice, except for one thing:Bring in a boom box and a CD, …
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I was going to suggest bellowing, ‘Don’t taze me …’

44

I vote for being professional as well. Not only does it make you look better, I suspect that while you might feel good while telling them off, you might not feel too good about yourself afterwards. I find that it’s easier to live with myself when I can tell myself I’ve taken the high road rather than rolling around in the muck.

45

[QUOTE=j666]
I was going to suggest bellowing, ‘Don’t taze me …’
[/QUOTE]
You could always do something like what Edward Norton did in fight club: smash your face bloody on various objects in your manager’s office, then throw yourself out through the window.

46

[QUOTE=Voyager]
Showing that they are idiots, and never consider that if you were planning to steal information, you’d do it before you gave notice.

… He was senior enough not to get searched, but finally complained by telling security and senior management that if any of the people who worked for him couldn’t get information out, they were too stupid to be employed there.
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You’re right, no employee with even one oar in the water would neglect to get any information they needed before the big day.

I forgot to congratulate you, Count Blucher, on your narrow escape. Sounds like it was a close call between the job hunt and just gunning the larcenous little worms down. (I could be projecting)

47

[QUOTE=Cervaise]
You could always do something like what Edward Norton did in fight club: smash your face bloody on various objects in your manager’s office, then throw yourself out through the window.
[/QUOTE]

Motion for ‘We Have a Winner’.

48

[QUOTE=Voyager]
I’m voting for leaving professionally. Given this story, it sounds to me like Alma is Ms. Shit for Brains. I’m sure she had a good laugh, but the person who had to be called at the last minute to fill in probably didn’t. We only have her word that the boss was a jerk, but she was a jerk based on her actions.

I’d never hire her in a million years.
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Trust me, you have the word of everyone that worked in that store that this guy was a self important prick. I was standing there and watched him make the phone call. The look on his face when he repeated the call to me 10 seconds after it happened was priceless.
I agree she was a jerk, but it was great to see him get put in his place. FTR I probably would not hire her either, she was a lousy worker. But if you gotta burn some bridges, you have to admit, she went down in flames.

49

Go in early, clean out your desk, & walk.

Mail them your resignation.

Say nothing.

Don’t listen toi BS about “coming in & picking up your last check”–they are the ones in trouble, come tax time, if they haven’t mailed it to you, & if you ignore their jabber, they’ll be steppin’ to get it to you…fast!

These people may security walk you out…if you let them.

Save your dignity…do it by mail.

50

I had a similar workplace a year ago. I had prepared a very professional letter of resignation, had notified the boss that I was applying elsewhere due to the bullying and the fact that he did nothing to solve the (easily solvable) problem. One Friday, he was standing by the door when I clocked out. He fired me on the spot because he didn’t like that I had been applying elsewhere. I told him that the majority of the workers there were good people and that I hoped he would treat them well.

I took the high road. It feels very good to know that I acted professionally the whole time, even though the boss expected me to act like a child. I know it would have been satisfying to dispense a little justice, but I think that they have probably suffered a lot by realizing that the honest and professional guy was bullied out of there and all they have left is an inept, whiney brat.

The only thing I did was leave an email rule that forwards, to the boss, the dirty emails that my former bully sends to his usual friends. I have not heard of anything else happening with that, but I like to think it will pay off one day.

Your crappy situation wouldn’t by chance be at a print shop in Appleton, WI is it?

At any rate, this kind of problem is a freaking epidemic! For a long time, I thought my situation was a major exception, but I do hear of many cases like this. My theory is that stupid people become bosses out of desperation. That, if they are the boss, people will have to overlook their stupidity and treat them as superiors. It is really creepy that a situation so similar to mine has occurred more than zero times.

[QUOTE=Count Blucher]
Sure, eating White Castle and dropping some loose steaming cable on the head honcho’s desk sounds good in the movies, but in real life, not so much.
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If you decide to go that route, I suggest bringing a toothpick and a scrap of paper so that you can put a little sign on it that says, “You.”

Either way, go all out on professionalism, or go all out on teaching them a lesson. We don’t train people to be half-assed here.

51

I have always given 2-4 weeks notice when I quit, except for one job. It was a bad job, for a really shitty boss. I thought a lot about it, lined up my next job, and planned to do it right. But in the end, I was afraid of how I would be treated for my remaining time in the office. I mean, really afraid- this guy was an asshole, and it was just the two of us int he office.

So I quit on a Thursday afternoon. I just told him that I couldn’t work for him anymore, and that today had been my last day. He came a bit unglued, but I had told a girl on our floor what I was planning ans she and her programmer buddies were right around the corner.

I still feel bad that I didn’t give notice, but I just couldn’t. My vote goes to being professional, though, no question. I was fired once as a company was going down in flames, and I didn’t care. I was trying to find a way to quit anyway! But I was the one who stayed calm & professional, and it was my boss who was insane.

52

Ah yes, to leave an abusive job, to whoosh out the door vigorously enough to make everyone’s ears pop. Yeah, be professional, just for the sake of your your own sense of integrity, but you don’t need to put yourself in a position of abuse either. If I thought they’d have security march me out, then I’d clean out my own stuff first and then phone in my notice. Those losers would NOT enjoy the pleasure.

In my case, I did keep it strictly professional… not because I’ll ever go back there, but because I’m better than them. I didn’t play any games except I couldn’t resist the desk-cleaning-out thing. I sterilized my cube and then for a week or so I innocently played “who, me? Just cleaning things up”, letting them bubble and stew until the time was ripe. Oh, it felt good.

53

If you do give two weeks notice, and think you might get walked out the door immediately, it would be good to have a mental list of stuff to do during that two weeks. Paint some rooms, replace a faucet, hang out at the beach, that sort of thing.

54

Update

There was a delay with the new job in that the person who hired me with a handshake Thursday night left on vacation… Thursday night. I called to ask about the offer letter he said he’d send me, which set off a scramble to verify I had been offerred it and then to quickly send me a letter. I did get that letter, but it was after I got home from work tonight.

So I delayed giving notice til Monday.

Still, I smiled a lot, took the Equal home, and actually enjoyed the job more than I ever had. I could laugh at the phony smiles. And when the IT manager 3 years my senior tried to tell me “You’re lucky I don’t make you call me Mister Smith.” I laughed at him louder and longer than I would have in a comedy club.

I have this wav file all set to be used as the sounds to all of the PC sound settings.

As for the Boombox, any chance I could go a more ‘classic’ route and use ‘Come Go With Me’ by the DelVikings instead…? :smiley:

Also, as I was picking up prints from the comon copier, I found my boss was printing the starting document to my performance review.
(Bwaaah Ha Ha Ha Ha!)

Also, a new ‘code word’ slang is making headway in that office. As new people are hired, one of the more ignorant managers has taken to asking “Well? Are they Jets or Sharks?” In the context being used, it seems to apply to gender or sexual orientation as opposed to ethnicity, but its being used as an ugly slur no matter how you slice it. That manager and the building manager were laughing in her office today about “not letting HR hear you say that.” :dubious:

55

I’m a bit confused…you’re turning in notice on Monday (3/24)? Or you turned in notice last Monday (3/17)? Either way, we want ALL the details.

Also, the link to your .wav file isn’t working.

56

[QUOTE=ivylass]
I’m a bit confused…you’re turning in notice on Monday (3/24)? Or you turned in notice last Monday (3/17)? Either way, we want ALL the details.

Also, the link to your .wav file isn’t working.
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My fault. I’m hoping this link will work. (its the bugsby.wav). I was planning to drop notice Friday 3/21 that Thurs 4/3 would be my last day. My plan now is to drop notice on Monday 3/24 that Friday 4/4 is my last day.

You know, even if they walk me out, pay or no, I can use the time to do things with my kids who are on Easter vacation. And it would give me more time to prep for a camping trip my eldest and I are taking on Friday. I’m just wondering if I should report to corporate HR some of their highlights (like the ‘Jets vs Sharks’ slurs). It would have to go outside the branch though, because everthing that goes on there is with the full knowledge & laughing consent of the branch manager. There is a toll-free whistle blower hotline to corporate and it is very tempting…

57

If I were you, I would call the hotline, but not until AFTER you give notice. You can explain to someone who might actually give a damn why you’re leaving.

And I will be hovering anxiously on Monday for you to post the details!

58

[QUOTE=Count Blucher]
Update

There was a delay with the new job in that the person who hired me with a handshake Thursday night left on vacation… Thursday night. I called to ask about the offer letter he said he’d send me, which set off a scramble to verify I had been offerred it and then to quickly send me a letter. I did get that letter, but it was after I got home from work tonight.

So I delayed giving notice til Monday.
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I do hope you’re doing the smart thing and not giving the notice until that offer letter is in hand. Recently we interviewed a candidate who we all really wanted on board, expressed verbally to her that she was our first choice for the position, then got a budget clampdown memo stating that all hires are on hold for the foreseeable future. I’m sure you already know this but you don’t want to make a grand departure only to come crawling back on your hands and knees the next week.

59

He did say he got the letter when he got home from work Friday.

Now, what happens if you get an offer letter and then they renege? Can you sue? Is it even worth the time and trouble?

And, Og forbid, Count, what if your current employer comes back with a counter-offer? As in, “We’ll fire Asshole Boss, give you a promotion, double your salary…and throw in weekly massages with the Swedish masseuse of your choice.”

60

Oh. Duh. Thought I read it twice, I guess I haven’t head enough coffee yet.

I believe you can file suit in response to a reneged written offer of employment. You can force them to abide by the offer or pay damages, but only if you’ve experienced loss as a result of acting on the offer (like being unemployed because you resigned your previous job). IANAL.