[QUOTE=Incubus]
Maybe because the guy that collects my garbage every week makes more money than we do…
[/QUOTE]
WAYYYY more money. GC’s in expensive urban areas like the Bay Area usually do reasonably well - like about 3x what your job pays for fulltime work, plus generally decent benefits and a retirement plan.
Nope, you’ve got nothing to feel guilty about at all.
[QUOTE=Giraffe]
Echoing others, you have nothing to feel guilty for. Your current job sounds pretty crappy, actually, so they should be grateful they had you for as long as they did. Part-time jobs paying $12/hour with shitty schedules and no benefits don’t have a lot of leverage, especially in an expensive area like San Jose.
Personally, here’s how I’d have the conversation:
you: “I wanted to let you know that I’ll be leaving to start a new job in two weeks, so consider this my formal notice.”
them: “That’s not enough time! You have to help us find someone else!”
you: “Sorry, I don’t want to do that. I’m happy to continue tutoring for the next two weeks if you’d like, but part of the reason I’m leaving is so I don’t have to call people and try to get them to come work here. Let me know when/if you’d like me to come in and tutor.”
them: “We understand, please accept this solid gold medallion as a token of our esteem and deepest affection.”
[/QUOTE]
Sorry Giraffe, but that is not how to handle the we want you to find your replacement whine. Here is what I suggest:
Boss: We need you to find your replacement.
Incubus: NO problem. Telephone recruiting is $50 per hour. Interviewing is $75/ hour. do you want me to just make phone calls, or do you want me to interview the candidates also? I can start right now.
Boss: But that is more than we are paying you!
Incubus: Your a quick one, I will give you that. Of course it is. Recruiting is not tutoring. Recruiting pays more than tutoring. Do you want me to start calling now?
Boss: Never mind
[QUOTE=Rick]
Incubus: NO problem. Telephone recruiting is $50 per hour. Interviewing is $75/ hour. do you want me to just make phone calls, or do you want me to interview the candidates also? I can start right now.
Boss: But that is more than we are paying you!
Incubus: Your a quick one, I will give you that. Of course it is. Recruiting is not tutoring. Recruiting pays more than tutoring. Do you want me to start calling now?
Boss: Never mind
[/QUOTE]
Seems far more likely that the boss will fume and yell and demand that you spend the day on the phone.
Whereupon I recommend spending the day on the phone.
Calling friends, family, Time&Temperature, Brazil, Outer Mongolia, the local pizza shop, crank calling executives, etc.
“Nope, sorry, didn’t find anyone.”
I certainly understand how you are feeling. The last job switch I made was a tough one. I got into the group out of a lousy situation in my prior job. And frankly, they hired me when no one else would. I loved the work and loved the people. But after 18 months, an old friend hooked me up with an interview with his organization. Its was definitely more money. The job was something I had wanted to get into for a long time.
When I said I ws leaving, they really guilt tripped me. I hadn’t been there long. I was doing a great job. And my departure came on the heels or two very experienced people had just packed it in. But the bottom line is I was doing what was best for me. It was an opportunity that might never come around again. So I sucked it up and did what I had to do. I gave two weeks and moved on and have not looked back.
As far as what they make you do on your last day, I guess that’s kind of up to them what your duties are. And its up to you to decide whether any of that fits your job decription. If they tell you to spend your last day or last week calling people instead of tutoring, then you can politely tell them that if they no longer require your services as a tutor then you are going to pack it in. But under no circumstances should you agree to stay one minute beyond the two weeks. You have adhered to commonly accepted practice and given them notice. Its now their job to pick up the pieces.
And don’t even mention another job until you have an offer in hand and your start date is reasonably close.
I gave 30 days notice at my last job…didn’t have to…but I knew they would have a hard time replacing me. They decided to let me go with 9 working days left, and kept paying me… in addition to cashing out my unused vacation.
Still took them another 2 months to replace me 
I really don’t get the resistance to making phone calls to arrange coverage after you’ve gone, or even to handling the administrative side of recruiting some applicants (posting flyers, placing an ad). You don’t need to take responsibility for the success of these efforts or do them on your own time, but phone calls and such are basic tasks any professional can handle. Just make the calls, record what answers you get from people, and move on. Management is fully in its rights to delegate this task, but they can’t delegate the responsibility. It’s nothing to go out in a blaze of attitude over. When I think back on the last few jobs I left, either internally or externally, I always put some work into transitioning my workload. Being a tutor is a bit more professional than flipping burgers, and I hope you can keep a professional attitude throughout your departure. Good luck with your next job.
[QUOTE=Harriet the Spry]
I really don’t get the resistance to making phone calls to arrange coverage after you’ve gone, or even to handling the administrative side of recruiting some applicants (posting flyers, placing an ad). You don’t need to take responsibility for the success of these efforts or do them on your own time, but phone calls and such are basic tasks any professional can handle. Just make the calls, record what answers you get from people, and move on. Management is fully in its rights to delegate this task, but they can’t delegate the responsibility. It’s nothing to go out in a blaze of attitude over. When I think back on the last few jobs I left, either internally or externally, I always put some work into transitioning my workload. Being a tutor is a bit more professional than flipping burgers, and I hope you can keep a professional attitude throughout your departure. Good luck with your next job.
[/QUOTE]
Maybe I read more into it but I thought it was at the end of her shift. the timing was not specified. Regardless, grinding someone down on the last day is poor form and discourages an honest effort to be helpful. I would personally offer any kind of help to my current boss because he’s earned the respect. My last job was a shut-down of the facility after 25 years and they had the decency to let us go home early.
[QUOTE=Rick]
Sorry Giraffe, but that is not how to handle the we want you to find your replacement whine.
[/QUOTE]
Oh, really? How many solid gold medallions does Incubus end up with if he follows your advice?
That’s what I thought. 
[QUOTE=ParentalAdvisory]
Word.
And about the bridges thing, is it always bad form to burn a bridge? Maybe it’s a bridge you’d never want to cross again. Burning it would reaffirm this. The only scenario I see is if you have to work for a old boss at another company, otherwise, burning a bridge to ACME Shit Hole might not be the worst thing in the world. Probably only works for fast food joints though.
[/QUOTE]
One reason is that bosses often feel the other boss is right, and if a manager hears about someone ranting, they may assume the guy will rant on their job also. That doesn’t mean that one can’t politely say that not getting benefits is a reason for leaving. If enough people walk out for this reason, they may decide it costs less for them to give benefits.
As for recruiting, I’d wonder about a manager who asks someone on the way out the door to recruit people and act as if the job were great. If the OP calls someone, and she asks how the job is, the OP can answer thjat he’s leaving in a week.