So how should I give notice?

A few hours ago, I posted a thread on my new job; I'm struggling as to how to break it to my current employer, so what the heck....let's have a poll!

(Hey, it's just as relevant as "What should I name my snake?" polls....)

Here are the mitigating factors:

• In my current position (that I started last May), I went from 1) salaried to hourly, 2) full-time to part time, and 3) "employee" to "contractor"...all on her (my boss') whim, based on the the month's billings and bottom line
• Her ethics in dealing with employees, clients, and vendors leaves a LOT to be desired. She has padded client's invoices with "administrative" charges that she claims to have done. She has gone through no less than 4 copywriters in my (less than one year) tenure there, and the copywriter there on MY first day on the job back in May greeted me with, "We're glad you're here.....you're the fourth web developer we've had here in the past year and a half". I have taken calls from collectors for the phone bill, a pretty basic business expense.
• And to cap it all off.....when I went into the office late at night (approx 8:00 pm) a couple of Tuesdays ago, she was in her office - with the lights out - with her known lover (not her husband). GEEEEEZ.....that's not just creepy, that's George-Costanza-having-sex-with-the-cleaning-lady creepy.

Given this kind of hell I've been dealing with for almost a year, I'm VERY tempted to resign "effective immediately", but the professional in me is thinking "give the standard 2 weeks notice"; then again, there's always a one week notice as well.

What would you do? Vote early, and vote often.

regards,
jazz

I voted with my head, but my heart says 'tell 'em to go jump in a lake'!:rofl:

Ditto to what Janine wrote. I think you've gotta go with option 3.

Off-topic: I was at work a little late the other night, and the cleaning lady came in. I would have pulled a Costanza on her! She looked like a slightly-more-worn Penelope Cruz (I'm a brunette-lovin' guy, myself)! I turned on the ol' Deano charm (3% of the time, it works EVERY time) trying to chat it up with her. Then I realized that she didn't understand a single word I was saying. :grin01:

Roy Munson said:

(3% of the time, it works EVERY time)

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:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:

This is particularly funny to me, given that I just cited Yogi Berra in another forum!

regards,
jazz

Find the happy medium, give em a week

Congrats on the new job Dale!

LOL Dean!
I would just go now... but the choice is up to you, I guess.

Roy Munson said:

Off-topic: I was at work a little late the other night, and the cleaning lady came in.

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I was working late the other night too. The cleaning lady came in and I turned on the charm . . . thick too . . . workin' my magic! Just when I thought it was time to make my move, the wife told me she was tired and going to bed. I went into chat and visited with Tim and Jay . . .

Dale, go with the standard 2 weeks. She'll probably just tell you not to show up tomorrow anyway. Just happened to my own brother.

D80

I went with the standard two weeks. Unless you will never use her as a reference- then just quit! I did that with a job once- I'd been there about six months, and one day it came down to "You can't fire me, I quit!" I've never used them as a reference- I always thought I'd just say after my previous employer went out of business it took me six months to find a job. But it's never come up, and the job I'm at now I've been at for more than ten years.

It's got to be the standard fortnight.......Chances are they will terminate your employment.....You can get a lot of revenge in 2 weeks

I've never not given the 2 weeks, except when terminated. The thing is, you never know when you'll need a reference.
Even if some people are jerks and don't deserve any notice at all..

I'd give the standard two week's notice also... plus, they tell me that it's easier to find another job when you are employed. You can always quit early if you find something better. Afterall, they almost never give you two week's notice when they dump your butt...

jazzgeek said:

A few hours ago, I posted a thread on my new job....

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Weebonilass said:

... plus, they tell me that it's easier to find another job when you are employed. You can always quit early if you find something better.

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And it's easier to leave an old job "effective immediately" when you've got the new one lined up already.

As for a reference.....I'm getting that from my colleagues, not the boss. Additionally, using a resource who needs to be reminded that "F5" will refresh your browser as a reference for a technical position would be a form of geek career suicide.

Interesting comments so far, thanks for the responses everybody. I'm starting to rationalize that one weeks notice would be the best way to go, given that I'm a "part-timer" at this point anyhow.

And everyone who stated that I'll probably be shown the door regardless....I wouldn't doubt it, nor would I care. The new employer wants me there ASAP.

It's nice to be wanted.

regards,
jazz

A two weeks notice is the professional procedure, but have you been treated professionally by your employer? If she had carried on a professional relationship with you as her employee I can see how you would owe her that courtesy. You don't need her reference, you're not looking for a job.
Tit for tat, I think you owe her a tit.

As much as they deserve NOTHING from you, I am generally pragmatic and figuring "you just never know..." - even though you think you will never need them. As mentioned, your offer of the standard 2 weeks will probably be rejected anyway. But at least if it ever comes up for some reason, you will be able to show that YOU were the professional, even if your boss is not.

Or you could insist that you MUST have full time work for the last 2 weeks, since that is what the other place is offering you, and that is what you signed on for originally (I think). Then they will surely show you the door right away, and you will be off the hook.

But I would try to leave on good terms (if possible) however you work it out. The momentary revenge just isn't worth it possibly coming back to haunt you at a later date.

Go with the 2 weeks. If it was so bad that you couldn't stand working there, you should have quit a long time ago. Now? It'd just appear immature like thumbing your nose at them. After all, you aren't leaving because you hate it - you are leaving because you have another job. You might have looked for another job because you hated it, but that meant you could STAY there until you did find another job. What's two weeks even if they don't tell you to leave that day.

Nanci said:

I always thought I'd just say after my previous employer went out of business it took me six months to find a job.

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I'd get in so much trouble doing that! It's a violation of law to fib on .gov doc's, and my standard job application (I work in wildlife management, conservation, and research) is frequently with the .gov. Not only would I lose my job and possibly (but unlikely) get a fine, but I COULD get in worse trouble than that (like never working again....lol). They wouldn't bother doing that, but my wife would likely get jail time for fibbing on something like that since she works with BL3 bugs.

Good point.

Kathy summed everything up very well. Give the 2 weeks notice and don't stoop to the boss' level. She may not be a professional (well maybe she is...) but showing more class than her can be even more satisfying.

Yeah, standard two weeks' is what I would do, too. Only time I didn't do that was working as a typesetter at a little ad agency after spending three years in a large law firm--I wanted to try something new. But my new boss was a total jerk and turns out all his employees--i.e., young women--were scared to death of him and losing their jobs because of signing a contract of employment. Like signing a contract with Satan, more like it. When he didn't keep his promise of increasing my salary, I went into his office, calmly told him I was quitting. First, he flew into an impotent rage trying to scare me, then when I reminded him I had worked for some very prominent lawyers, he got weasely. I just turned around and walked out the door. I did enjoy the typesetting, though.

I haven't worked for anyone else in a "regular" job for years now. I was self-taught and self-employed as a weaver for 15 years, had a small dog grooming business for awhile, tried the real estate thing (who hasn't?), which led me to a great part-time job as a contractor working as the office administrator for a nonprofit. We helped senior citizens stay in their homes by offering volunteer services. Unfortunately, the idea didn't take off as the board had hoped, and through lack of management on their part (like, I kept telling them they needed to do more marketing), they closed the business. I'm now going to work with my husband as his office administrator, because he recently bought out another business (he's a financial advisor) and he's now overwhelmed. And that's my story.

Don't let the behavior (or misbehavior) of others dictate your own. Give the proper two weeks.

Roy Munson said:

Ditto to what Janine wrote. I think you've gotta go with option 3.

Off-topic: I was at work a little late the other night, and the cleaning lady came in. I would have pulled a Costanza on her! She looked like a slightly-more-worn Penelope Cruz (I'm a brunette-lovin' guy, myself)! I turned on the ol' Deano charm (3% of the time, it works EVERY time) trying to chat it up with her. Then I realized that she didn't understand a single word I was saying. :grin01:

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QUE?


No hablo ingles.