Semi OT: How Much Notice To Give?

I will try to make a long story short and give you a little bit of background into my situation.

I started with a company about 3.5 months ago (there is a 6 month probation on benefits. i will only be 2 months behind getting them @ my new job by comparison.). Prior to my employment here, the company had two 5 Axis mills and 3 guys that could run them. NOW... two of the long term guys have quit. The first guy quit before I arrived and had been there for about 3 years. The second to quit is the lead hand, who has been there for 12 years. Both just leaving for greener pastures.

Now, they have bought and installed a 3rd 5 axis mill with the initial intent to have 5 guys for 3 machines to rotate as needed and have 2 guys on standby to sub in for holidays and such.

Now the 3 of us left are me, the other new guy, and one longer term guy. Me and the other newbie worked for a competitor to this company that went out of business. We know the work very well and are essentially up to the same speed as the two that have quit. We are in a specialty of a product and the only place to find experienced people are from competitors. So we are hard to get.



To bring you to the main point. I have accepted another job which begins on April 11th. I have already signed documents with them and signed up for pay roll, so it's a for sure thing.

First Approach: Give notice now and offer to help train someone (if they can find anyone)

Second Approach: Watch my own back and wait for the two week "traditional".

Third Approach: To save two weeks of drama, and since I am still under probation: Wait until the Friday before I begin my new job, and simply tell my supervisor it is not working out, and that I’ve found something else. (now I know I am not going to take this approach. BUT since I am still a "probie", this is not only a judgment time for them to see if they want me, but also for me to see if I want them.)


I have a feeling once I quit it's going to make the bosses SNAP after losing the two other guys... but realistically... I haven’t even been here 4 months... They are known for taking quitting as completely personal. Obviously though I do want to keep the door open.

Thank you

FWIW My new job is @ Toyota so it's highly likely that i'm retiring from the trade so to speak. But you never know.

One thing that I have learned, (sometimes the hard way) is that unless you are working for a real dickhead, and you will never want to work for them again, it is usually best to not burn your bridges. I would go with option one, and offer to train a replacement. That will mean a lot to most employers, and will go a long way tward future good will.

if you owned the shop

1 If you owned the shop how would you like to be told?
2 Would you feel a sense of pride for doing something that would help them in their transition?
3 If these answers don't put a lump in your throat, hit the road and go fishing until your new job starts.

Some employers do deserve respect. If not, it is better to clear out.
PaulF

But be prepared to get a short vacation as soon as the words leave your mouth. They may walk you out immediately.

Figure out how many days of lost income you could tolerate, and cap that at ten days (which is two week notice).

Then, give that many days of notice.

They can/could walk you out as soon as you give notice.

The world has changed.

If a supervisor objects to less than two weeks notice, politely mention that the topic isn't mentioned in the handbook, and you were concerned the company wasn't obligated to keep you for any length of time after you gave notice, and you couldn't afford to be unemployed for two weeks, but you could tolerate losing x days of pay, and that dictated your advance notice.

They should understand, but since the employees are voting with their feet.....

I would not give more than a one week notice but since you are still on probation even that is not necessary. Treating others the way you would want to be treated goes both ways. A six month probation period on benefits? After having gone through a lay off during this last recession when I received exactly ZERO notice after 17 years with the company I would say that you don't owe them a thing.

After I was layed off I took a job and worked there 5 weeks and found another job giving my employer a once week notice - to which they showed appreciation and invited me back if things didn't work out. Then I worked at my second job for 3 months (1 week shy of my probation there) and I found another job and gave them a one week notice which they appreciated and invited me back if things didn't work out.

That's my experience and my opinion.

Best wishes with the new job.

"I'm taking a new job on "date." Is there anything to want me to do differently before I leave?

In other words how much notice do you need?

How much notice do you need, lets them make the decision so they can't be upset with you. At least you didn't just not show up your last day.

Let them make the decision, then your in the clear. After all they made the decision to hire you.

The part that may be uncomfortable would be if the boss kicked you out sooner than you wanted to go.

It also sounds like they don't know how to keep their help. So they aren't worth trying to work for.

I've been a business owner for thirty years. I've made my mistakes and Ive also had some good crews. Above all, you are in "business" for you, not them. You are performing to make your own livelihood.

Regards,

Stan-

Mikec touched on it ealier, most guys by us give a few weeks notice, I have seen some guys tell them the news only to be walked out the door the same afternoon. In your situation could go either way in my book. I for the most part am pro "don't burn any bridges on your way out" theory. So honestly I probably did not help you any.

Unless your working for a absolute evil person, then i recommend going for a proper notice period too. Theres only one job i left with out giving notice and put frankly im certain eventually they will get to burn in hell! Over here its rare for smaller company's to walk people out imediatly. Larger ones and all bets are off.

I don't know if I would think I owed them any notice. Considering here, in Ontario, there is no such thing as a legally defined "probationary" period.

Instead the ESA states that after 3 months one week notice must be given, which is generally considered the end of the probabtionary period as the employer must now give notice and show reason if called upon why the employee was let go.

So sounds like the employer perhaps is the cause of the more senior workers leaving. As if this is the first thing they do to new hires who knows what else they will pull in the future.

Dimitri

I would be straight with them. Go talk to them now, and lay it out. If the shoe was on the other foot, isn't that how you would like to be treated? If they walk you out, that's their problem. My guess is that they'll appreciate the honesty.

In twenty years, they won't even remember your name, but how you acted will always be part of your character. Act in a way that will make you comfortable in your own skin.

Go sit down and talk to 'em.

There's no way to know for certain how they will react or if they will walk you right out. But i would make my decision based on my experience with them personally, also going on what i've heard about their practices from other workers.

We all know it's best to give as much notice as possible, but that come come back to bite you. I would always give notice to any employer who was fair and/or deserved it, but there will always be the exception of shitheads, in which case i would treat them the same.

Thanks guys for all of your input. I greatly appreciate it.

I talked it over with the lead hand (who is done tomorrow) and he reccomended i do it sooner than later... they'll respect me more for it i the long run. Almost 100% sure they will not let me go sooner than i would like as they are going to be short staffed. So tonight i will type up a nice letter explaining my position and see how it plays out tomorrow...

Slapstick said:

So tonight i will type up a nice letter explaining my position and see how it plays out tomorrow...

Click to expand...

See how it plays out? Heck, just sit back and watch the show.


Tom

Slapstick said:

Thanks guys for all of your input. I greatly appreciate it.

I talked it over with the lead hand (who is done tomorrow) and he reccomended i do it sooner than later... they'll respect me more for it i the long run. Almost 100% sure they will not let me go sooner than i would like as they are going to be short staffed. So tonight i will type up a nice letter explaining my position and see how it plays out tomorrow...

Click to expand...

As an employer I wouldn't really like the typed up letter. I would much prefer you come talk to me, I would also prefer to have as much notice as possible so that I have adequate time to find a suitable replacement, this would leave the door open for you to return if you wanted to.

First thing I tell new employees is that if they ever have a problem with something, come talk to me. If you want a different job, come talk to me, I might even be able to find you a new job, just give me some notice, I'll help you, and I'll likely need you to help train a replacement.

I've had some people quit, and I've fired a few as well. Only one guy I have fired I haven't talked to since. Everyone else stops by a couple times a year to see whats new. Try not to burn the bridge, take the higher ground.

Slapstick,
I just went through the same thing!

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/v...advice-giving-notice-current-employer-216151/

I would give 2 weeks notice if you can afford to be unpaid just in case.
Like the other posters said don't burn any bridges, because you never know.
Good luck with your new job.

P.S. It was a long two weeks but in the end it worked out great for me.

"Figure out how many days of lost income you could tolerate, and cap that at ten days (which is two week notice)."

Precisely my point there. If it's like where I work, your paycheck is 2 weeks behind. If the new place is the same way, you are going to be behind by two weeks on your first check. You could be going without a paycheck for a month if you give them four weeks notice and they walk you out the next minute.

Guy where I work gave his retirement notice four weeks out and was shown the door before he got out of his boss's office! Luckily, that boss is gone from there (guy was a total moron, anyway).

Never ever burn bridges.

I worked for the same prick for 21 years.Found another job and I couldnt wait to get out.I Gave a one week notice. He wouldnt give employees a 2 week notice if he was terminating their job so why would I .LOL!!!
I still got the " Ill always have a job if things dont work out." line..Hell would freeze over..

Wished I would have got off my ass years ago and parted ways with this jerk..

As a couple of others have stated, find out what you are required to give in your area. Here in Manitoba, either party is required to give 1 pay-period notice. (In most cases this is 2 weeks.)

There are some exceptions which may make this period longer. As an example: you have worked somewhere for 30 years and are the general manager - you might be required to give more notice.

I believe the employer has the option of paying you the remaining pay period and showing you the door right now. Often happens in higher security type operations ie banks, lawyers, accountants...places where there may be more private info floating around.

As to what you should do...in this case I suggest to do as many have stated: talk to your employer early and honestly.

Now that I've said that, let me tell you a story about me and my wife...She was working for a government organization, second in the finance department (actually was Acting Head for a while). Anyway, we get engaged in December. She gives a verbal notice of Oct-Dec end date since we are planning a November wedding. In April/May her supervisor tells her that she needs to get a written notice in so that they can start officially looking for a replacement (union job, gotta document everything...). OK, fine, she figures out working until mid-November, then using up overtime/holidays until mid-January. All is well. End of September rolls around and we find out we are expecting! By the end of Oct, she is on strict bed rest and the co-workers are scrambling to get everything done on time. Paycheques ended mid-January. Baby was born April 1...those that have been keeping track may notice a time-discrepency....that's right, he was born at 32 weeks! Maternity leave now starts (1 year in Canada) at 60% of her wage to a max of xxx per month (can't remember). She finishes mat leave the next April, and we are already expecting #2 (yeah, yeah, I know....) Kid #2 is born in September. Mat leave this time is 60% of previous years wage, but she was on mat leave, so it is actually 60% of 60% of her wage. Bottom line is this....if she'd stayed employed at her job, her mat leave would have been topped up to 90% both times. If we'd planned this better, she should have stayed at her job, we should have planned to have kids right away so she could collect 90%, then after a few years, move back to the farm. (P.S.: She was only required to give 4 weeks notice, and that is what her co-worker did with 25 years on the job!)

I tell this story to show that sometimes there can be an advantage to not being the nice guy and simply follow the rules (and use them to your advantage)!

Andrew