Providing notice at work

[Prairie]

Hi all - I'm totally new here, but am in need of advice about handling a situation at work and figure that a whole bunch of strangers might just be the people to ask. I will be starting a new job in mid-February. I have not yet given notice at my current workplace. Theoretically, I can give my current employer up to six weeks notice, if I resign on Monday. I feel like it's in their best interests to know well in advance, as I'm deeply involved with a number of projects and a long notice period would give me and the company plenty of time to transfer those projects over to new people/other staff. But after doing a little Googling I'm wondering if this approach might end up biting me in the ass - like, the employer might terminate me before the end of the six-week period, or things are work might be really awkward/strained. Any thoughts on how to handle this situation in a way that won't screw over my employer but won't screw me over either?

 

Some facts for context:

 

-The new job is not with a competitor. It'll be a move from the private sector to the public sector

-I have a good relationship with my boss and senior management

-My boss is reputed to not always handle resignations very well, though I've never seen him "punish" or shun employees who resign

-I'm not senior staff, but the company is very small so every employee handles a substantial chunk of our total workload. The loss of one employee is significant for them

-I'm happy at my current job but the new one is more in line with what I see myself wanting to do in the long term. So I'm not leaving because I'm disgruntled.

 

Thanks in advance!

[pirateradio]

Most of the places I have worked in, the standard notice is 2 weeks. Some companies will have the employ stay the whole time, others will pay them for the 2 weeks and tell them to leave right there. If you are on good terms with your employer, giving them 6 weeks notice to allow you to transition your duties would be pretty considerate. As far as whether they could decide to dump you before the 6 weeks, that probably depends on the law where you live. I have never seen a company tell someone to leave before their notice period is up without paying them, and I believe in NY and NJ if you have given notice they have to pay you for that time (I could be wrong, I am not a labor lawyer), in any event I have seen companies tell an employee who gave notice to clear out then and there, but they also pay them. 

 

I would recommend staying on their good side and a long notice period is pretty considerate. I also would tell them that you like working there, but that you found a job more in line with what you see yourself doing in the future and it never hurts to thank them for anything they may have done for you (It sounds like you liked working there, so things like learning new things, being given responsibility, etc are never bad things to thank them for), you never know what will happen, maybe the job you are taking isn't so great, it ends, having someone who will give you a reference or maybe even rehire you is never a bad thing:). 

 

The boss may get upset, but it is highly likely that he has taken new jobs, it happens, and a boss that gets upset at an employee finding something new, especially where it is not to a competitor, is kind of disingenuous, given that he/she likely has moved several times, too:). 

[Auraladen]

I agree with Pirateradio, your employer will always appreciate the early notice even if they are upset that you'll be leaving them. It also helps to be courteous to avoid any bridge burnings in case something happens or if you're in a very tight knit industry and need the referrals in future. I found it also helps to go with the 'it's not you; it's me' approach to explaining why you're moving jobs. Even when it's not true. At my last job I could have told them that my supervisor was a micro managing crazy woman but I settled for 'it's a new learning opportunity' and retained a good reputation in the process.

 

Really the reasons you've listed are great and honest ones that any decent employer would respect. The best way to avoid 'screwing them over' is to just give them a nice heads up so they can train up/hire a replacement and avoid any chaos that comes with sudden understaffing issues.   

[samanmoran]

Well, I am an employer, and I think that any manager or employer who is professional and worth their salt will not let emotions interfere with the effective operation of the business, and so if you just tell your current boss what you've outlined above they will accept this as a new development to be dealt with and start searching out your replacement. And most likely be glad to have as much notice as possible! If it doesn't make good business sense to kick you out early out of spite, they won't. Also it will clear the air and you'll be able to function better your remaining time without that hanging over your head. You won't feel dishonest.

If your current employer is lucky enough to find a competent replacement before you leave it would make sense to have you do the training as well.

And I agree, forging relationships in business is everything and keeping them on the level and showing professional courtesy is always helpful.

You could always hedge your bets if you don't trust your boss or don't think she/he has the professionalism described above and give, say 3 weeks. But you know your boss the best.

Say you stay the full 6 weeks and they decide to be pissy with you... Big deal! You're moving on anyway and you've taken the position on the moral highground. Good all around.

And finally, the very worst case... You get a few weeks off! (But that seems unlikely!)

[Zorch]

I agree with Pirateradio, your employer will always appreciate the early notice even if they are upset that you'll be leaving them. It also helps to be courteous to avoid any bridge burnings in case something happens or if you're in a very tight knit industry and need the referrals in future. I found it also helps to go with the 'it's not you; it's me' approach to explaining why you're moving jobs. Even when it's not true. At my last job I could have told them that my supervisor was a micro managing crazy woman but I settled for 'it's a new learning opportunity' and retained a good reputation in the process.

 

Really the reasons you've listed are great and honest ones that any decent employer would respect. The best way to avoid 'screwing them over' is to just give them a nice heads up so they can train up/hire a replacement and avoid any chaos that comes with sudden understaffing issues.   

 

Well, I am an employer, and I think that any manager or employer who is professional and worth their salt will not let emotions interfere with the effective operation of the business, and so if you just tell your current boss what you've outlined above they will accept this as a new development to be dealt with and start searching out your replacement. And most likely be glad to have as much notice as possible! If it doesn't make good business sense to kick you out early out of spite, they won't. Also it will clear the air and you'll be able to function better your remaining time without that hanging over your head. You won't feel dishonest.

If your current employer is lucky enough to find a competent replacement before you leave it would make sense to have you do the training as well.

And I agree, forging relationships in business is everything and keeping them on the level and showing professional courtesy is always helpful.

You could always hedge your bets if you don't trust your boss or don't think she/he has the professionalism described above and give, say 3 weeks. But you know your boss the best.

Say you stay the full 6 weeks and they decide to be pissy with you... Big deal! You're moving on anyway and you've taken the position on the moral highground. Good all around.

And finally, the very worst case... You get a few weeks off! (But that seems unlikely!)

 

Agree with both of these.  If there's one thing managers HATE it's surprises of the bad variety that they are forced to react to at the last minute.  The fact that as you mention, at a small company, each employee handles a relatively large portion of the overall workload means that it's even more important for the managers that they have time to formulate a plan to deal with an employee who is leaving - either via hiring/training someone new, or redistribution of the work.  Because of this point, it seems unlikely that they'd throw you out immediately; in fact if your boss is worth his/her salt, he/she will take advantage of the extra notice and use the time to formulate a smoother transition/exit plan.

 

In short - if I were in your boss' position, I'd want to know sooner rather than later, even if I weren't thrilled about the fact that you're leaving.

[Prairie]

Thanks for all the feedback folks. I think I'll go with my original plan and give notice this week. I've been treated well by this employer and would like to do right by them.

[Jay87]

Hi there, 

 

As a freelance HR Consultant, the no. 1 thing to look as is your Employment Contract. There should be a clause in there about your contractual notice period, so check this just so you know your facts before you have the convo with your boss. 

 

If your contractual notice period is 6 weeks either side on both Employee and Employer then the company may be required to pay you in lieu of notice if you don't work the full six weeks. You may also be entitled to holidays accrued but not taken etc and you'll need to decide whether you want to take these within your notice period, or have them paid out with your final salary if the company does this, or if you are unable to take them due to company needs such as projects and handover. 

 

Basically, check the employment contract. There will be a few things in here that need to be adhered to, even if some of the leaving arrangements are informal or up for negotiation because of the good relationship. It's always safest to know which are which

 

Very best.

[Prairie]

Thanks Jay. I'm not on contract so that's no issue. 

 

I told my boss yesterday. It went pretty well; he took it well, but I sort of feel like crap. If I wasn't so certain this is the right choice I'd be pretty freaked out right about now. It's hard leaving a good job!

[RisenPhoenix]

In general, I've seen that the advice from the Ask a Manager blog is pretty solid.  But it mimics what was said above.

 

Glad everything worked out well for you!  Good luck at the new job!

[Jay87]

Glad it went ok and don't feel bad - people grow and it's natural to move on to other things. Gone are the days of 'job for life' I think so just view it as natural progression, which is a good thing. It's not like you were asked to leave or anything and it sounds like you'll tie everything up neatly for them before you go.

 

Very best with your future pursuits!