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Employees and employers alike have the right under at-will employment laws in almost all states to end their relationship without notice, for any reason, but the two-week rule is a widely accepted standard of workplace conduct. Now Sue Shellenbarger writes at The Wall Street Journal that employers say a growing number of workers are leaving without giving two weeks' notice.
Some bosses blame young employees who feel frustrated by limited prospects or have little sense of attachment to their workplace. But employment experts say some older workers are quitting without notice as well. They feel overworked or unappreciated after years of laboring under pay cuts and expanded workloads imposed during the recession. One employee at Dupray, a customer-service rep, scheduled a meeting and announced she was quitting, then rose and headed for the exit. She seemed surprised when the director of human resources stopped her and explained that employees are expected to give two weeks' notice. "She said, 'I've been watching 'Suits,' and this is how it happens,' " referring to the TV drama set in a law firm.
According to Shellenbarger, quitting without notice is sometimes justified. Employees with access to proprietary information, such as those working in sales or new-product development, face a conflict of interest if they accept a job with a competitor. Employees in such cases typically depart right away—ideally, by mutual agreement. It can also be best to exit quickly if an employer is abusive, or if you suspect your employer is doing something illegal.
More often, however, quitting without notice "is done in the heat of emotion, by someone who is completely frustrated, angry, offended or upset," says David Lewis, president of OperationsInc., a Norwalk, Conn., human-resources consulting firm. That approach can burn bridges and generate bad references. Phyllis Hartman says employees have a responsibility to try to communicate about what's wrong. "Start figuring out if there is anything you can do to fix it. The worst that can happen is that nobody listens or they tell you no."
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Thexalon on Tuesday June 28 2016, @12:28PM
Sometimes, not only is it OK to quit discourteously, it's absolutely necessary.
Some examples:
1. Your boss demands you commit a crime: The next step is to move the conversation to email or some other written medium, then inform your boss that what s/he is asking is illegal. If the boss insists over those objections, then the right thing to do is to quit immediately, taking at least one copy of the conversation with you. And if you see signs that somebody else at the company did what the boss asked, then take your information to the appropriate authorities.
2. Your startup stops paying your salary/wage: This one should be obvious, but surprisingly it isn't to many people who work at startups. The rule is very simple: You don't pay me, I don't work. Anything else is a violation of labor laws. If they are withholding your last paycheck as well (not uncommon in this situation, because they don't have any money left), you can go after them with a lawsuit, and know that you are first in line during any bankruptcy proceedings. I've been through this one, and quitting immediately hasn't hurt my career.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 2) by Rosco P. Coltrane on Tuesday June 28 2016, @01:19PM
Well, you're right. I was more thinking about a "I want to get out of here because I'm not happy here" kind of situation, not something involving a crime or a breach of labor laws. Obviously in the cases you cite, more drastic actions are justifiably in order.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 28 2016, @06:57PM
Sometimes, not only is it OK to quit discourteously, it's absolutely necessary.
Some examples:
1. Your boss demands you commit a crime:
Do you have some non-standard definition of discourteous?
If not, you can go tell Don Luciano to his face that he can go fucking kill the guy himself...
I'm going to be polite and diplomatic about it and hopefully gather enough stuff to keep me and my family alive and safe. Whether from the boss or from the Law.