Two-week notice is courteous, and a necessity in tight times

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Dear Joan:
What is the history of the two-week notice? Is it archaic for some job positions? Is it in the interest of both parties? Are there other acceptable options for leaving a job? In a small company it can be devastating.

Dear Joan:
I’d really like your opinion on an incident that happened at my work yesterday. I am the technical support specialist for a non-profit agency. I have just given notice that I will be leaving to accept a position that is unrelated to this field. I asked to take one of my 2-week notice weeks as vacation, but since there was so much to complete and compile, I compromised and decided to stay for the full two weeks.

The day after I gave notice, my immediate supervisor was noticeably cold. We had an all-agency staff meeting planned for yesterday, in which I was scheduled to present some new research findings for our field. About ten minutes before the meeting, my supervisor informed me that after my presentation, I was to return to my desk and "pound out some work" before I leave. Basically, I was banned from the remainder of the meeting. And, in fact, I was assigned to answer phones and take messages for the rest of the agency. I felt very degraded and offended by this treatment. I’m wondering if today I’ll be cleaning toilets! Do you think I am justified in feeling offended? I value your opinion. Thanks!

Answer:
The practice of giving a two-week notice is a common courtesy that is traditionally extended to an employer, to enable that employer to make a smooth transition between employees and put a plan in place to get the work done. In the past, when employees were plentiful, it was a short, but reasonable period of time to give an employer a "heads up." With unemployment so low, two weeks is barely enough time to find someone, especially if the employer has to look on the outside. However, for most jobs, two weeks is still the standard.
 
It isn’t a mandatory period of time, but a commonly accepted practice. If you walk off the job with less notice, you are likely to irritate your employer and you may even get a less than positive reference.

For executive positions or positions where many projects are going to be left up in the air, it makes sense to give your employer a longer period of time (sometimes up to six months). In the case of a retirement, it can stretch to several years. This time period is dependent upon how good your relationship is with your employer, how difficult it will be to replace you, and how vulnerable the employer will be when you leave. Typically, in a small business especially, a key or senior person is wise to give plenty of notice. But your good intentions are not a guarantee that the employer will receive your notice well.

There are many variations on the two-week notice. For example, I have had employees agree to return after someone is hired to train the new employee in specific tasks. In other cases, employees agree to be available for a limited period of time by phone, for questions the new employee may have. In other cases, ex-employees work out a contract whereby they are paid to complete a project on a consulting basis, if no one is found immediately to replace them.

The ideal situation is to leave on the best of terms, without leaving your employer in the lurch. That is why it is so wise that the second writer agreed to stay on and work, rather than take her vacation as one of the two weeks. The employer is likely to be happier to pay him/her for accrued vacation time, rather than have the employee off the job, when they need him or her to finish as many projects as possible.

The reaction of the supervisor in the second letter is unfortunate. Rather than being supportive of the employee’s career choice and grateful for his or her decision to stay for the full two weeks, the supervisor appears to be taking a narrow, selfish stance. The supervisor would be wiser to be gracious and thankful for anything the employee is able to get done. Obviously, when an employee is treated as a "traitor" for leaving, he or she will be unwilling to go the extra mile or work out a creative contract to finish projects.

An employer who treats a soon-to-be ex-employee with as much respect as they showed when they were a full member of the team, is going to get more from that employee and is also going to demonstrate to all other employees that they truly care about them--- not just when they are an employee. Employees watch and judge every move a supervisor makes to determine his or her true values. This is one of those times when those values should come shining through.

In the case of the employee who feels degraded by menial tasks, take the high road and do whatever your employer wants, with a smile and a willing attitude. You will soon be on to other things and it’s best to leave a lasting impression of a team player who is willing to do whatever it takes to be helpful during the final two weeks on the job. 

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