But if you voluntarily resign effective October 31, and as a result they fire you on October 1st, they’re likely on the hook for unemployment for that month.
Yes, that’s true. In most places there is an “elimination period” for unemployment benefits where you don’t get paid at all unless you have a certain number of weeks of continuous unemployment (usually something in the 14 day/4 week/1 month area). So in your example you might not qualify for benefits anyway.
I’d like to unpick this a bit, could you elaborate?
“Glad I’m getting the fuck out of here. Oh, I suppose I’d better make it look like I’m covering my accounts until Tuesday. Set… fictional meeting… invite nonexistent client contact… okay, done.”
I understand that, but we just don’t have that where I work. I mean, it is far too easy to track whether I am actually doing my work or not. That’s not to say I wouldn’t slack off at all, but I can absolutely see them giving me a list of things to accomplish before I leave.
And I can also see some companies sending you home. It’s a matter of trust. Have you developed it, AND do they still trust you?
I’ve been working here long enough that I know I am trusted. Whether that would extend to my last two weeks really depends on the higher-ups, of course, but I rather think of it the other way: I bet they want to milk every last little bit out of me they can before you leave.
I’ve just worked the last but one day of the two months notice period (Monday is my last day in this job). I actually ran out of work to do about lunchtime today because there’s no point in me embarking on new stuff with only a day to go, but up until then, the last two months have been full on - finishing off my projects or tidying them up for handover, documenting the stuff that’s in my head and providing notes for whoever will have to do the job after I leave.
They trusted me to do this - I’ve seen a couple of people for whom this was not the case, and they were escorted from the building almost immediately upon handing in their notice; they were put on garden leave for the notice period (and I could have engineered this for myself quite easily if I wanted - just muse out loud “think of the damage I could do to these accounts/systems/data now I’m not staying…” - and you’re gone, but who wants to leave under a cloud?)
I care about my job and my colleagues - I care what happens to those things after I leave - I care about whether people think I left a mess or a legacy - why wouldn’t I care. What kind of employee would I be even before I handed in my notice, if I didn’t care?
I think in most of the United States (certainly in KS/OK/MO, and in California and New York), the elimination period is now one week.
I get this but what about the reverse? In the case above, they obliquely implied that the previous notice-givers were tossed out because they couldn’t be trusted, but if that’s the case why are they waiting for these untrustworthy people to quit rather than removing them? Someone I thought would rob me blind at the first opportunity wouldn’t sit there comfortably until he or she found better pickings.
One thing I liked about working for big corporations was the mindless impartiality of policy that prevents such fuzziness.
In the couple of cases I ever saw of people being escorted out immediately after resigning, one was an individual who had a history of adversarial conflict with management, but had played the game cunningly enough to avoid justifying dismissal - the other was a someone who did actually hint/threaten to cause damage during their notice period - this was overheard and reported and they were gone the same day.
These cases are completely understandable, but in my experience, they are something of a rarity - in general, I see people resigning, then working their notice and making a graceful exit.
I do accept that there are probably workplaces where the risk of damage caused by employees in their notice period is assessed as too great and a blanket policy of garden leave exists, but I think that ought not to be the norm.
I’d give a few months notice only if I was retiring. If I was leaving for a new job, I’d give the standard 2 weeks.
A friend of mine gave 6 weeks notice. His boss told him he should leave in two weeks. My friend said that if he didn’t stay the entire six weeks, he would file for unemployment insurance. He stayed 6 weeks.
I work in the defense industry and so it is assumed that even if you go to work for a company in a completely different part of the industry, they may still become a competitor. As such, many companies are known for giving you the ‘perp walk’ out escorted by security the moment you give notice. Though I like everyone at my current job and have been here a few years, I suspect even I would still get the perp walk treatment if I gave notice. My decision on how much notice I would give would be a reflection of how long I could be unemployed between jobs comfortably if they canned me on the spot. I could definitely withstand a few weeks so I would have no problem giving notice that far out.
When I was planning to go to graduate school, the fact that I was taking classes for the GMAT and asked my boss for a letter of recommendation effectively gave them nearly a year’s notice I was leaving, but that was back when I did pharmaceutical research.
I’ve given my employer of 23 yrs. 18 (now 15) mos. notice. Couple reasons-completely justified by his actions my loyalty to the founder and owner of the company. The fact that my job didn’t exist before I was placed in it, and god help anyone who tries to figure out my filing system, born long before naming conventions. 23 yrs. of institutional knowledge. 4 mos. of software classes for my in-house chosen replacement, + time for her to train her replacement, then a 12 month “apprenticeship” with me (it’s a really seasonal business). Some serious health challenged facing the principals (husband & wife).
I’m not especially worried that they would let me go before then–finances OK, and I have a feeling they’ll keep me on in a lessor capacity after my replacement is ready to go, but if they do, well, c’est la vie!!!
I’m likely to move next summer. If I decide to, I’ll give my current employer at least a month’s notice. That will enable me to job-search in my destination city with my current employer’s positive recommendation in hand.
I quietly gave my supervisor the head’s up early in my pregnancy. Coincidentally, HR came to him and told him he had to downsize his two-person team to one. Since I hadn’t officially told anyone anything yet, I was laid off and it was my word against his.
I did manage to get more severance when I pushed, but it still sucked.
I’ve experienced several different scenarios. What action to take totally depends on your conditions of employment, the laws in your area and the type of workplace / relationship you have with your coworkers and management.
Usually I would only give the required notice. It’s only when there’s unusual circumstances or you’ve seen how they behave when others give notice that I deviate from that. And of course, always be fully prepared that they might march you out the door (so tidy your desk, take any personal items home the week before, clean out your inbox or computer of any personal stuff, or stuff you want to keep - all this BEFORE you give notice)
At one place, if you were going to a competitor, they’d escort you out the door (while still paying you the 2 weeks pay as they were legally obliged to do), but if you weren’t going to a competitor they’d get you to work out the 2 weeks, training or handing over files, doing the crapwork, etc. I was leaving because I hated the industry (sleazy, encouraged lying to customers and coworkers and lining your own pockets, etc) not going to a competitor, but when they got all nasty, demanding I tell them what job I was going to, I refused and just said “I’m sorry - that’s not your business”. After spluttering a bit about how they had a right to know and mulling it over, they kinda figured that they’d just operate as if I was going to a competitor and after a few hours I got escorted out the door. So I got a 2 week paid holiday.
At one place I gave 4 weeks, though only 2 weeks were required. I was trying to help as I felt a little bad leaving them in the lurch… though with hindsight I can see it was their fault not mine, that me leaving put them in such a bind. It was horrible, especially dragging myself into that toxic workplace for those last two weeks when I could already have been free. Lesson learned at that place.
I gave one place 8 weeks notice (was contractually obliged to give 1, as they were to me), because I got on really well with them. Wanted to help train my replacement and handover. Yes, they legally could’ve replied by giving me one week notice back (I couldn’t force them to employ me for 8 weeks by giving 8 weeks notice after all) but I knew that in this environment that was highly unlikely and the 8 weeks notice was mutually beneficial. It was great - gave me more time to really get all the documentation up to scratch as well as have a seamless handover. There were no hard feelings, no angst, no drama. And we had ample time for more than one farewell party (meaning we had an excuse for drinks at the pub for several Fridays in a row)! 
On the plus side, a year later they needed more staff and hired me back. Partly because I treated them so well when I left, I was able to negotiate improved conditions for my return, so it worked out very well in my favour. This was a rare / unusual circumstance though
So yeah - it completely depends. But if it’s just a normal job with no unusual circumstances, give the required notice but prepare for being escorted out before you do. In some places that’s just policy, not personal so don’t get upset if it happens, in other places it most definitely is hostile and personal.