Dear Lola,
I got a new job that starts in a month. I am beyond thrilled as it is a significant improvement in pay, and a rung (or three!) higher on my chosen career path. My new employer has recruited other people in the past from within my current company and it is a sore subject within management. I know my boss is going to be upset because she loves my work. However, the company refuses to reward hard work by promoting from within before seeking outside candidates. Needless to say, I’m leaving for that very reason.
Which brings me to my dilemma.
Am I required to give a two-week notice to my boss? I told my husband I was planning on giving my notice on the Thursday afternoon before my final day of work on Friday. He thinks this is a terrible idea in case I need any of these people in the future. While I understand his point of view, I cannot ever see a day when I will need to fall at the mercy of my ex-employer. I also think the company hasn’t shown any loyalty to their workers so I owe them none of my own. What do you think I should do?
Sincerely,
Painless Parting
Dear Painless Parting,
First, congratulations on the new job! I bet you are thrilled to be earning a larger paycheck while also advancing to a more senior position. Second, I feel obligated to remind you that with a larger paycheck comes larger responsibility. Or so my Daddybeast always mutters. Be sure to carefully allocate your new funds so they aren’t squandered entirely on a roomful of squeaky toys.
While I thought it was a perfectly reasonable way to spend a paycheck, my humans disagreed.
Third, I love the absolute confidence you display when you mentioned there is no scenario in which you would ever fall prostrate on the ground at your previous employer’s knees. You know you are good at your job. You know your field has ample companies that will never be merged until only two are left standing. You also know you will never, ever want to work with your current employer again.
Torching the bridge practically guarantees that is the outcome.
However, I do wonder if you have thought of all the possible outcomes. What if you hate your new company and leave within a year? You may need references. What if the new company poaches more staff and you end up working with, or underneath, your current managers? That could get ugly. What if your new company and your old company somehow merge in the next five years like so many of them seem to do nowadays? I saw in the news that three people now own all the companies in the world.
It may be a gross exaggeration, but you cannot deny it is an infinitesimal possibility.
I also have one more worry for you to chew over at tonight’s dinner table. What if you need a kidney and the only matching donor happens to be the very person you screwed over by not giving any notice? I would hope humanity would prevail, but we also shouldn’t ignore the fact that some people can hold a grudge until the end of time.
Your manager’s cold-heartedness would serve her well in the event of a zombie apocalypse.
In all seriousness though, what’s the likelihood you’ll need a new kidney AND the only person who could give it to you is your old manager? Unlikely. Though I bet you’ll think about it at bedtime for the next few weeks. Human brains seem to enjoy torturing themselves before falling into the sweet release of sleep.
Give notice or don’t give notice, the choice is yours.
I’ve laid out all the potential pitfalls of your not giving notice, so now I’ll do the same for the opposite scenario. If you give a two-week notice your employer may ask you to leave immediately. You’ll lose out on income that you planned on earning and probably have to cut back on your dining out, however temporarily.
That seems a huge sacrifice when you have so little to gain.
♥Lola♥
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Shank You Very Much 