# The 2 Week Notice debate



## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

Pretty simple. 
"You" don't want to work for a company that will lay you off without notice.
"I" don't want to hire an employee that will quit without notice.

Don't work for a company with a history of doing that.
Don't create a history for yourself of doing that.

Track records are pretty easy to research these days. An employer or employee record is similar to a credit rating. A bad history will lower your "score". A company or individual with a low "score" is not someone you want to enter into a business contract with.


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## Dirtywhiteboy (Oct 15, 2010)

Tech Dawg said:


> shows up drunk and high take her clothes off and walk around the mall.......
> Would you issue a two weeks notice to fire her???


NO I think I would give her a new position:whistling


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## KennMacMoragh (Sep 16, 2008)

angus242 said:


> Don't work for a company with a history of doing that.
> Don't create a history for yourself of doing that.


Well, quiting and switching jobs is a hard thing to do, it's something that should be thought out long and hard in each case. But I don't like to keep a list of do's and don'ts, I like to keep an open mind and decide which is best for me and which is fair in each situation.


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## Dirtywhiteboy (Oct 15, 2010)

Did I miss it or did the OP ever say why he quit:blink:
So why did you quit:blink:


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

Dirtywhiteboy said:


> Did I miss it or did the OP ever say why he quit:blink:
> So why did you quit:blink:


http://www.contractortalk.com/f11/does-sound-like-scammy-contracting-99761/#post1219606


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## Acres (Feb 12, 2011)

Don't know if this has been said, but 2 weeks notice because of other employee's.

1) your coworkers. The job load now has to immediately be carried by your fellow co-workers and most likely friends if you immediately quit.

2)It also severs any chance of a re-hire. You better be recession proof. My GF has gone back to many jobs from the past in different forms becuase she was professional before, during and after her employed process. 

3) It can affect your future work. past bosses-companies will send past employees work, if there's a related field and a good relationship.

4) The INTERNET. Yup word can spread quickly, your old companies HR may be the least thing you have to worry about. 

There's more reasons but, no need to list any more. Because If leaving a place improperly/un-professionally has any bearing on MY future earnings, personal relationships, and my good name. Then thanks I'll give my two weeks. You'll find yourself on a job island pretty quick. Word of mouth my friend word of mouth....


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## Joasis (Mar 28, 2006)

Prescott4Life said:


> also, you confuse defensive with having a strong opinion on the matter. Im trying to say as an employee you should never have to give a 2 week notice because *the same isnt granted to you by your usually much more well off employeers*.



A little class envy maybe? :whistling


I won't even read through all of this, but you contend you are right..and everyone else is wrong..so why engage in a debate? 

Ever hear about "burning bridges"? How about respect with small companies and earning as well as giving? Most employers in construction are small companies, like mine, and if you walk off as you desire with the everyone for themselves attitude, I can say I am damn glad you don't work for or with me...attitude is everything.


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

Dirtywhiteboy said:


> NO I think I would give her a new position:whistling


i would coin the term laid on instead of off lol


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## maninthesea (Nov 11, 2008)

I have a little different angle to debate on the two week notice question. As a manager before and employer now I dont know if I feel obligated to keep an employee on for another two weeks when they tell me they are quitting or resigning or whatever we want to call leaving the company on other than the best of terms. If your not happy with the company then I dont really want you around anymore. Sure its going to be tough being a body short until we replace you but if your counting on me to keep the paychecks flowing until you get your new job started or find one I dont thinks is my obligation anymore. 
However parting on good terms I have asked an employee if they can work a little past the two weeks. I have employees that moved on to better jobs that I cant compete with that we still see socialy. 
I really think its all situational.

Cheers, Jim


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## maninthesea (Nov 11, 2008)

to the OP I am guessing you have not been an employer/company owner or you would not keep throwing out the statements about the employee makeing the comany tons of money. Yes sometimes the company does make very good money and high profit. But the company also is responsible to pay the bills when they make little profit or even lose money. The company has the most risk and sometimes gets the most reward but not allways. Its tough for me right now and I would venture the majority of others. I am getting by OK but I definatly am not makeing a "really lot of money" I also work a lot of 13hour days and often 6 or 7 day weeks. (very few 7's becuase a man's got to fish!)


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## Mike's Plumbing (Jul 19, 2010)

Normally I take the time to read the entire thread before responding but after reading your original post I didn't really need to. You will get different answers I'm sure.

Having known some of the members here it's clear how they would answer because many are of a high caliber.

At the end of your post you said "just go get what you want in life" and this is what I will address.

The secret to getting what you want in life is not a selfish endeavour. It has nothing whatsoever to do with you. The secret is and always will be you ability to handle relationships and what you bring to the table to help others in that relationship.

A two week notice is not a law, it's done out of respect and thoughtfullness to a company and the people you work with.

I depend 100% on the relationships I have to get what I desire out of life. If I tarnish it even a little that means I tarnish relationships, the very thing that I depend on.

Sure, you don't owe anybody a darn thing in life but be careful what you wish for because you will get just what you ask. 

You decided to post this question right? If you really believed in it there would be no point in posting the question. Your employer knows hundreds if not thousands of people and since people are the foundation of relationships why on earth would you gamble with that?

Here is what real men do. They start by having a great relationship and when they quit it becomes a mere extension of that already forged relationship. In your post you said "the two weeks would be awkward" and that's not what you should be feeling. If you had a good relationship the two weeks could be the best two week of you life and they would throw you a party.......and that's the difference of getting what you want out of life.

Angus owns a tile company but he is also in the relationship business.........guaranteed.

If he was really busy and wanted to grow he wouldn't hire a worker he would hire a human being that has character and integrity because that's the kind of person he is. Now, if this person decided to leave one day and start his own business I promise you that if this person had a good relationship with Angus......Angus would help him, as would many people here.

But here's the thing. Are you a worker or are you a team member?

If your a worker and it sounds like you declared yourself as such.......then just quit and walk away because your boss isn't out anything anyhow.

Mike


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## aptpupil (Jun 12, 2010)

bottom line: don't be a jerk. treat others as you would like to be treated. be the bigger man. give them two weeks' notice. if they don't want it then say thanks and be on your way.


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## jamestrd (Oct 26, 2008)

no one HAS to do anything...

but morality,ethics and etiquette go a long way..

This can also help you get a favorable review for another position.

Not everyone leaves on bad terms..its never personal and ALWAYS business...


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## Dirtywhiteboy (Oct 15, 2010)

Prescott4Life said:


> $130 a year home protection change smoke detector batteries, check GFIs, and give 10 percent off future work. To me this seemed like a scam and I always had a problem asking customers to buy it.
> 
> -They charge $320 bucks for a whole house surge protector which costs 30 bucks and take 5 minutes to install.
> 
> ...


It seem to me the OP has serious integrity issues with what he is doing:sad: I have worked for a salesman like this:no: this guy was so slick it was sick, he would come with the wells fargo forms for the loan and put old ladies so far into hock it was wrong! And his targets were the old Japanese folks, they are so naive, these guys have terms for these people like mooch and others :no: and after years of doing this he very good at it. In short I think myself all I have is my integrity. So yes I would have walked and said find someone else to rip the people off:whistling because how can you go on doing something you think is wrong:blink: and why would the co. want a sales man that feels like hes ripping off his client:no: Integrity it's all about Integrity:thumbsup:


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

Sorry to go off topic but....

Is that sweaty Teddy?


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## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

I would have fired him.


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## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

Prescott4Life said:


> So I gotta say, you are both dead wrong


I just gotta say, I am who I am. So I give notice, but also accept some employers won't/don't. That doesn't change who I am. I treat people like I'd like to treat me, even if they don't deserve it.

The upside of this is I always have great references and those that were turds, well, I'd not want to use them anyway.


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## 480sparky (Feb 1, 2009)

Most everyone in the building trades are employed "At Will". This means you can be let go at any time, _with_ or _without cause_. Deal with it. Not many of us are willing to even _attempt_ to negotiate an exit policy with a new employer, let alone _expect and/or demand_ one.

If you want to give a 2-week notice, all well and good. But don't be surprised if that's the last thing you do for that company either. Many places have a policy where if an employee gives notice of their intention to leave, they're immediately handed their hat and shown to the door. Some outfits are even willing to pay you for the two weeks.

To the OP: If you don't like they way you're treated, insist on better treatment. If you don't get it, I'm sure there's a valid reason. My guess is it's sour grapes on your part.


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## TimNJ (Sep 7, 2005)

Prescott4Life said:


> angus heres a situation.
> 
> As required by my contract and with heavy expectation on my part to "do the right thing," I gave a two-week notice to leave. One week into the notice, they publicly walked me out the door in front of staff, kept $9,000 of back commission wages and put out a defaming letter to my past clients.
> 
> ...


Why didn't you start with this instead of dancing around the issues? There is more to your story you aren't telling us.
If you didn't do anything illegal, seems you have a case for the defamation and the back pay they owe you. Most states labor boards do not look to kindly on an employer withholding pay from an employee.
If you don't have a "no compete" clause in your contract, F the company and take all your clients away from them.


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

TimNJ said:


> Why didn't you start with this instead of dancing around the issues?


Just to clarify, that quote was not written by the OP; it was in the link he gave in the next post.

Since I'm here now, I'll throw in my two cents.

Ethically, quitting without notice is a dirtbag move, particularly if you work for a small outfit without the resources to immediately shift personnel around to cover the hole you're leaving. That's assuming, of course, that you're actually leaving a hole.

If the employer is an immoral scumbag and you can't work for him in good conscience, that becomes clear quite early on before you have become a seriously contributing member of the team. In that case, you put him on probation... about two weeks--and tell him so.

If your gripe is that you're not getting paid enough after being there a while, or personality conflicts, or any other sundry reasons, another lousy couple of weeks won't make that much difference in your finances. Nor should it with your tolerance factor for other things.

But just dumping the job today, bing-bang, is immature and shows a lack of ethics that can well cause problems for you in the future. 

Could the boss fire you immediately when you give him notice? Sure, but so what? If you're smart, you already have something else lined up, so at worst you'll have a couple of weeks' unpaid vacation. If you don't, and can't afford it, well... maybe you should wait until you can.


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