Giving Your Notice
 

Is two weeks still standard?

When I was in my interview last week, I had mentioned that I'd like to be able to give at least a three week notice. I don't think any one part of my job is hard, although several assistants of mine have proven that apparently "not hard" to me doesn't translate the same to other people. However, I do lots of random stuff: payroll, A/P, A/R, HR, maintain the website, assist in estimating projects, all the AIA forms, place job ads, interview candidates, and any other thing in this office that needs done. Hence, wanting to give a longer notice.

Apart from all that, if I walk into this second interview tomorrow and they offer me the job, and I give my notice on Friday, three weeks is 8/30/13. The next week is the week that the boss, her son (the VP) and his babymama (my assistant) go on vacation with their whole family leaving just me and the estimator in the office. While the evil, mischievous part of me rejoices in schadenfreudey goodness, the business side of me knows that it's never good to burn bridges.

So, as I'm negotiating this interview tomorrow, I'm questioning what to do about all this. I know the position I'm being considered for isn't replacing someone - he's restructuring and adding staff. I also know that the department had been mismanaged and they're still working on straightening out books from 2012, so I'm not sure a week either direction will make much of a difference. I don't want to mess up this opportunity, but I don't want to burn bridges, either. Advice?

If you are offered the job, ask them when they REALLY need you. If they will let you give three weeks, give it, because that's nice.

If not, tough titty old job, you have things to do.

That was exactly my thought. The boss' vacation is not your problem.

Agree with the above! I just posted a question about giving notice a few months ago. I didn't know when to do it because I was resigning due to a move, not because of a new job, and I really just wanted to let the cat out of the bag. I also thought because I wasn't jumping ship to a new agency, co-workers would be helpful and offer any leads they might had in the new city.

I ultimate resigned 4 weeks out. I just didn't want to keep being sneaky (my co-workers and I were very friendly) and wanted to be able to talk about the move openly. I also wanted to get it out there so people would have a little understanding as to why I was suddenly leaving actually at 5p lol

The reason I bring this up is little did I know that when I resigned, my boss was in the process of moving my supervisor onto a new account, trying to find a new assistant for our current team, and promoting another planner to a supervisor who would replace my supervisor. I then resigned and threw a wrench in this plan LOL I actually was asked to keep quiet about my move until I was told it was ok. I had NO idea why, but didn't mind as long as my boss finally knew. Then she brought us into a conference room one day and announced all the changes and made sense as to why it had to be that way.

Honestly, me leaving at the same time the supervisor on the account was moving onto a new account put that account in a REALLY tough position...but the moral of the story is that I had to do what was best for me. They found a way to manage with two people suddenly gone.

Y'all are right. I spend too much time worrying about other people's problems.

It will be interesting to see what they do, should this happen. It took me YEARS before they felt comfortable enough to leave me alone. They're persnickity trust-freaks.

All the above responses were great advice but, one thing you may want to take into consideration is company policy. I say this because, while I was preparing to move to another state for graduate school, I was trying to figure out when to give my notice. Because I worked in a small office for an agency I thought I'd give a month's notice. When I gave notice, my supervisor commented that it was great I gave a month's notice, as per company policy, in order to receive my full benefits package. I was able to cash in, literally, on my paid time off that I never took.

Check company policy. Also, keep in mind you want to be 100% sure you got the job or about when you would actually be starting before putting in word because if something were to happen (just being practical--not trying to be Debby Downer), you could put in "too much" notice and your company may decide to get rid of you sooner than the time you gave them and you could lose some pay. These are just some things to consider.

This depends on the state, too. In Illinois, they have to pay out your unused vacation time.

I agree with the other advice, but I throw this out there: If I was interviewing you and offered you the job, and if you asked when I really needed you and explained the situation at your current job and not wanting the leave the current employer in a bad way, that would earn you serious brownie points with me right off the bat. It shows professionalism and consideration for others.

Good luck!

Amen!

This ended up being the winning answer.

I haven't gotten an official offer, and they haven't told me if in fact they would be able to allow me that much notice, but she did appreciate the situation. She ended the interview saying that I WOULD be hearing from the CEO (with whom I had the first interview)! Overall, odd as it sounds, I actually had FUN at this interview. The awkward formalness of a typical interview didn't last long at all, and we chatted about all kinds of random stuff. She's around my mom's age, and on the quiet side, but she has a sense of humor. I'm sooooo excited to hear back from them.


I guess if I hear today (he's been doing most everything by email, so I think that's how he would communicate an offer) I should wait until Monday to turn in my notice...type up a formal letter over the weekend...

In my occupation, the notice is about a 2-3 months. It would be difficult to give less notice in terms of planning on your part and planning on the institution's part. This is all covered in our documents. Only extenuating circumstances warrant less notice without pissing people off.

I think a lot of occupations have at least 3 weeks notice. I recommend taking the notice policy seriously because, unless the company is a complete nightmare and you don't give a darn, you want to end on a good note. You may need references, social capital, good occupational reputation, seeing former employers at conferences, your new employer taking you seriously as a professional, etc.

Yep!

Our handbook says two weeks (or you lose your accumulation of vacation). It's rare that anyone actually does that in my company, though. Partly because the majority of my company are plumbers and it's just not their mentality to do so, and partly because my bosses are famous for not letting people work notices. However, the first office manager they had (secretary back then) gave a 6 month notice (she was moving across country), and the one after her that I replaced gave a 3 month notice (also moving). They were obviously allowed to work their notices. The VP's babymama (whom I mentioned is currently my assistant) would probably end up finding full time care for her child (she was debating it this school year) and take my place. Less stuff to teach her, since she already does some of it, but I honestly don't think she's got enough accounting sense to do all of it


Yes, I'm rambling waiting to hear something. Nervous energy.

My previous job asked for 2 weeks in the handbook, but when I left, I was told that I could leave after (I think) 10 days since I had already ramped up the individuals taking over my accounts. I didn't lose my vacation pay by doing that.

Good luck, btw, AF

Quoted for my own amusement.

I ended up giving more than two weeks notice for my last job. I got the offer in mid-December to start in mid-January. If I waited to give two weeks, it would have been December 28th, when EVERY manager/supervisor in the whole department were scheduled to be off for the holidays. As a courtesy, I was going to give notice just before they all took off for the holidays. I wasn't sure if I should do it the last day before they left or a day earlier so they had time to file paperwork or whatever.

I was called into a conference room the day after I got the offer and told they were going to have me take over an audit from one of the other auditors and they would need me to travel to Massachusetts on Jan. 14th- the week I was actually starting my new job- and should make my travel arrangements ASAP. I went home that night and wrote the official letter. I outlined which tasks I would finish during my last month on the job.

A lot of the time, they don't have auditors work through their notice period. I spent a tense afternoon while they discussed whether security had to walk me out that day or not. I was particularly concerned because usually it happened when people gave two weeks notice and they received pay for that two weeks. But I had given a month and was worried they would only pay me for two weeks. I was pretty worried about getting screwed out of two weeks pay because I was being considerate.

It all worked out though. They decided I could be trusted and had no desire to burn bridges and they let me work through my notice period.