Leaving job ... how much notice should I give? (Need quick response!)

In My Humble Opinion
1

Now, I know two weeks notice is customary and all that I’d be expected to give. But here’s the sitch:

A) I know I’m going to be leaving at the end of April

B) I’ve worked here for almost 8 years, and all of the staff is very close

C) I want to continue doing some freelance work for this company

D) my job is one that requires a bit of advance planning to assign and execute the workload, and I don’t want to leave them in a lurch to try to find someone to handle my workload (for reasons A and B)

E) I have an annual review today
Now, personally, I would feel uncomfortable going through my whole review mtg., esp. the bits where I say what I’d like to see myself doing over the course of the next year, without revealing that I’m leaving. When I do give notice, I’m going to feel like I duped my boss/co-workers, and if by chance they feel the same way, then it will greatly hurt my odds of getting future freelance work from the company–something that’s pretty certain if I leave on good terms.

BUT … my family and friends (save my wife) are all saying, “Screw them–just give two weeks notice.” Now, true, things change and my new opportunity could fall through in the next 2 months … but it would be a major happening for such a deal to fall apart at this stage, something that is unheard-of in the industry. But …

So, am I stupid to be giving 2 months notice vs. 2 weeks notice? If I hated where I worked, I wouldn’t think about it. But I like my job well enough (not as much as what I’ll soon be doing, obviously), and I love the people here, many of whom mentored me through my early career and are friends. I don’t want to generate ill-will, nor do I want my work suddenly dumped on all of them who remain (which is what will happen).

2

Give the two weeks. Choke your way through the review. Quietly start working your way through your desk to close out things. If things are still looking up at your new employer, start hinting in a few weeks that you may be leaving. Then give the two weeks notice.

3

If the new job is a sure-thing (it sounds like it is not) let them know before two weeks. Sounds like you like them and the wouldn’t retaliate (i.e., fire you)

BUT…

since the new job is not a sure-thing (even if it is 95 % sure) I wouldn’t say anything until it was.

4

I would give them the 2 months notice as long as you suspect that there will be no retalition. From your description that sounds unlikely.

5

I would give as much notice as you could. There’s no reason to hide something from management, especially if you want to do freelance work for them later on. Besides, your colleagues will know soon, if they don’t already, and you know how the grapevine is. Be forthcoming, and management will appreciate the extra time to find a replacement for you.

If you had decided to retire, you’d probably tender your resignation soon after your decision effective at the end of the fiscal year or some time well before your last day, right? Two weeks is the customary minimum, but it’s not a maximum.

6

If your situation is one of mutual respect, and you would really feel like you’re leaving them in a bad spot, give 'em a month. That’s more than you are obligated to give, and you won’t feel guilty.

7

Well, Update: I chickened out. Only saw MissTake’s post before I had my mtg., and it reinforced my lingering doubts. I think I’ll probably follow Kalhoun’s advice at this point, and let them know a month from now.

Gracias.

8

It sounds like you anticipate it being an amicable parting. If so, I’d give them notice as soon as you’re 100% sure you’re leaving. Though the “standard” is to give 2 weeks notice, I believe that giving them as much notice as they’d likely give you if your job were being cut is reasonable.

9

I think it kind of depends on why you’re leaving the job. If it is to go to grad school or moving across the country or something that you really plan your life around, I’d say give notice as far in advance as possible.

If you’re leaving for another job, and you really liked where you worked (which is apparent), I’d go with the one month that you seem to be leaning toward right now.

10

Recently one of my husband’s co-workers gave less than 2 weeks notice that she was leaving her job because her husband took a new job on another continent. (According to the contract—they’re public school teachers-- they’re supposed to give 60 days notice.) Her justification for the short notice is that she told them as soon as the deal was finalized, and part of the deal is that they had to move right away. She said that she didn’t want to say anything in case the deal fell through, but the deal had been in the works for months.

Apparently, she had had amicable relations with the principal. And this principal is known for being very accommodating in situations like this. So, she dropped this bomb on him, and of course he didn’t say anything negative about her publically, but word on the street is that he was majorly p.o.'d about it. And he had every right to be. She should have told him that there was a possibility of an overseas transfer as soon as the deal started looking like it might happen. Even if she had to then give very short notice, at least he would have been somewhat prepared. It was just a shitty thing to do, to her boss, to her co-workers, and to her students.

Soooo…what I’m trying to say is that you should tell your employer that there is a possibility that you might be leaving at the end of April. You don’t have to give them any details about how likely it is at this point–you can minimize it. But in a case where they have been fair to you, then you should be fair to them and let them know that it’s on the horizon, especially if it’s a position that takes time to transition. Then, if the deal does fall through, you can just tell them that you’re not considering leaving any more. And if the deal firms up, you’ve at least tested the waters and can make a better decision about when to give actual notice of leaving.

11

You’ve got a beautiful situation. One that I envy.

Give one months notice.

Like someone else said, choke your way through the review. And, if they ask why you didn’t say anything earlier, you just say that you were being proffesional because it wasn’t a sure thing.

And, you’re given them plenty of notice so you won’t burn bridges and you can do freelance work.

AND, the best part - you go in on April 1 and give notice. They’ll say, “yea, yea, April Fool to you too”. And you get to drop the bomb. People live their whole live’s looking for that bomb drop.

Good luck.

12

I’m going to run against the grain of the last few posts and say stick to the two weeks notice.

Caveat first. In the case of Green Bean’s example, the subject had a 60-day contractual obligation, which she should have honored. Without knowing more, I’ll ask, could she have not just moved a few weeks later than her husband?

That being said, I was once in a similar situation. I knew several months out that I’d be leaving a (~100 person) company I’d been at for nine years where a.) I was in a hinge position and b.) I hoped to both cultivate them as a client as well as pick up some consulting work from them. Obviously, I cared to leave on the best terms possible.

The only pre-prep I could do was lobby (successfully, as it turned out) for a significant upgrade in hiring an assistant. I argued for a professional salary and a degreed individual to take over what had been a spot occupied by clerical/secretarial employees. The idea was to not leave them in the lurch when this person became my replacement.

That part of the plan went well, and I hired a degreed geophysicist to, unbeknownst to him and everyone else, take over my job.

Finally, I gave my two weeks notice. And it all turned out well. I got them as a client and did some of my early consulting work for them.

In my experience, in a professional environment, giving two weeks notice is recognized as the modicum an individual should be capable of delivering while balancing any beholden company’s interests against their own. Nowhere have I ever seen people perceive that as something to burn the bridges over, and it’s in your best interest, toadspittle.

13

I was a temp at a publishing company for over a year. Because my contract was sold by one agency to another, I did not get a raise after I’d done my job for a year – something I’m still a wee bit bitter about, especially because I could not pay my bills on the income I had at the time.

So I started looking in the paper for a part-time job, and while I was flipping, I found a position had opened up in my dream industry at my dream company. I put in my resume immediately, asking if they had part-time work but making it obvious I was willing to accept anything, and started working at a church on weekends.

And I talked to my boss. I told her “You know my dream is to work in the computer game industry. There’s a job that’s opened up, and I’m asking them if I can work part time, because you’re the best boss I’ve ever had and I don’t want to leave here. I want you to know, though, that I’ve been working for you as a temp for a year now. I understand you can’t hire me on full time, but I can’t go on working at a job where I could just be let go tomorrow at the company’s whim…not if I get offered a job doing what I’ve always wanted to do.”

Two months or so later, I got an appointment for the interview for the job I’d applied for. I went to my boss’s office as soon as I got the news and asked if I could take a long lunch that day – apologetically, honestly, and gently. She gave me her blessing.

When I returned from my interview, I went to her office and told her how it went – quite well, in my opinion. She congratulated me and wished me well. Three days later, I got the call – I’d gotten the job! After jumping up and down a whole lot, I went to work the next day and broke the news to my boss.

We got a replacement in the next day, I trained him for the rest of that week and the entirety of the next, and the day I left my boss gave me a Starbucks gift card and a hug, and a request to come by sometime and tell her how I was doing. :slight_smile:

My situation’s not the same as everyone’s, but unless there’s a really good reason to be otherwise, honesty and respect is the best policy. My position took about a week to learn how to do reasonably well; I was, after all, just a temp. I was still a darn useful temp, and I was on very good terms with my boss.

I still have to go and see how she’s doing, though…

14

This is a brilliant sequential thread title all by itself! :eek: