Giving a 2 weeks notice or just up & quit?

[Sparky]

Give at least 2 weeks if you can.

Of course if you get an offer for a great job and they say, "But we want you to start tomorrow" screw your old job.

[Pedersen]

My vote: If possible, do the two weeks. I've only had one job where I gave less than that. The manager was a jerk of biblical proportions, and losing somebody on no notice really didn't do much to the schedule.

And, believe it or not, that was not my last job (which I've complained about on this board). Nor the one before that. Nope, that goes back about 13 years.

Two weeks = you being a nice person. Do it if you can.

[Shangri-laschild]

Going to also voice the two weeks notice when you can. I get that sometimes you can't deal with working there anymore and in that situation I've just flat out quit too. I also wasn't burning any bridges since my manager at that time had only been my manager for a week or so (that time around) and my old boss said she'd give me a reference. Best to not have to worry about it later when you put it down as a reference. Plus you never know where you'll run into those old coworkers later (the ones who will get screwed over at least partially by someone suddenly quitting)

[Geek King]

Two week notice is nice, and looks good on you. But you have to consider what your current job will do. If they would act professional, great, give two weeks notice. If they would screw around with you, I wouldn't tell them until the last day. If you don't trust them, maybe set it up with the scheduler to have the week after your quitting day off so you don't screw coworkers too badly by quitting without notice.

[tropicsgoddess]

I agree with giving the two week notice. Besides the fact that it'll give your boss ample time to find a replacement for you but also you don't want to burn bridges because you never know who you might run into and it could bite you in the ass if you just up and quit.

[BlaqueKatt]

Though, I did once give three days notice to a former manager and I don't regret it!

I gave 5 seconds of notice once -trust me it was deserved*, and the look on the manager's face when I tossed him my keys and said "consider this my 5 seconds notice-I'm punching out and going home-for good"


*only cashier, no raise in a year while everyone else had gotten three, was expected to merchandise(set up displays), unload trucks, check in, price and stock orders, ring out customer's(when I was in back with a truck the floral designers would page me to the front for customers), and he wanted me trained on custom framing and floral design. And he sat in his office all day-they went under soon after(about 2 months-as he and the office manager were both stealing money, and he had the nerve to get on my case for my drawer being $5 short once I went through the tape and found the error-my drawer balanced to the penny for a year before that one incident)

[smileyeagle1021]

I'll chime in with the 2 weeks notice crowd... I have only 3 times given less than 2 weeks notice, first was when I got my GM shorting me on my pay checks, when I confronted him with proof and he said that obviously I was mistaken (I had the original time clock punch slips), I drove to the regional managers office, showed him my evidence, reported my manager, told him to mail me the remainder of my pay and dropped off my uniform at my home store on the way home... second time was at a job where I knew it wouldnt' cause undue harm (they had 2 employees on my shift and had done fine with just one for months before me and never actually replaced me) and the 3rd I gave my notice but everyone made my last 2 weeks so miserable that I just didn't show up for my last day.

otherwise, don't burn the bridge.

[JLRodgers]

Oh, and for anyone reading this.... remember, if you quit with little notice it doesn't hurt the company or managers --- it hurts your fellow employees. They're the ones that get it in the end.

My mother was telling me a story about how this woman (currently in politics, running for govener or something) -- cheated and stole things to win something and was an all-around.... anway.... it happened over 40 years ago, and she STILL holds it against her! She even said if she lived in the state, she'd of run against her because of it. So yeah... sometimes if you burn a bridge, people will hold it against you.

[Mazthoril]

Especially when dealing with shift-work, I'd go for two-weeks notice.

That's a courtesy, though, I do not view it as an obligation. You and the employer generally have an at-will relationship in the United States. You aren't under contractual obligations to work, and they aren't under contractual obligations to keep you on (some people do work under such contractual obligations, though. For example a professional baseball player would suffer financial penalties if they just decided to just walk out in the middle of a contract.)

At Subway, I'll give two weeks notice (actually, I told my manager when I got hired over a year ago, that I was leaving a week before finals week my final semester of school--so I've given an immense amount of notice) because the only people it screws over if I don't are my coworkers.

One summer internship a few years ago, I saw a guy from the IT department get escorted off the premises the same day he gave his letter of resignation. With some positions, there is too much of a security risk for the company to let you stay on for two weeks--in such a case I'd advise the employee not give two weeks notice until they already have everything else lined up for a new job.

[powerboy]

It all depends on the job. If they are treating you like shit, then just quit. If you are being treated good, then give 2 weeks.