Is the Two-Week Notice an Outdated Practice?
With massive layoffs without notice to people being walked off the job after putting in a notice, is the 2-week notice to an employer becoming an outdated practice and should you give employers a 2-week notice before you quit?
Where did the 2-week notice rule come from?
The 2-week notice really is more of a social norm than a rule and likely came about in the early 1900s. It was created during an era when employer and employee loyalty was at an all-time high. An era of pensions, and an era where many people retired from the same company they worked at for the majority of their life. It’s no surprise then that professionals over the age of 40 who lived during these times are more likely to give a 2-week notice. But should they? Should any of us give notice to our employer before quitting?
Are there any situations where you may legally have to give a 2-week notice?
All 50 states have at-will employment with the exception of Montana. In Montana, employers can only fire an employee without cause during their initial probationary period. At-will employment means that an employer can terminate an employee at any time for any reason (with some exceptions) and that an employee is free to leave a job at any time for any reason - both without incurring any legal consequences. In other words, there is no law requiring you to give an employer any notice.
There are a few exceptions that may change your employment status from at-will:
Unionized jobs
Contract work
Employment contract (usually for executives)
In limited cases, you may be legally required to give notice to your employer. If you have any type of employment contract, be sure to check it when planning your exit. It’s also important to note that if your employment contract requires a notice, this can be interpreted to mean that you have a guaranteed right to remain employed during the advance-notice period and cannot be walked out the door or terminated.
How many people still give a 2-week notice?
Source: Jay Veniard, LinkedIn
The number of professionals giving employers a two-week notice varies greatly by profession and industry. According to the Harris Poll, 55% of professionals gave former employers a two weeks’ notice. Another survey found that only 22% of professionals gave a two-week notice to their former employers. When you account for age, the proportion of individuals giving a notice to employers decreases significantly with 1 in 4 among Gen Z and millennials not giving a notice when resigning. One survey even found that 13% of employees ghost an employer when quitting - perhaps a more accurate definition of quiet quitting, literally.
Seven downsides of not giving a notice?
There are downsides to every decision. The important thing is that you weigh the positives against the negatives to determine what is best for you. Here are some of the downsides and implications of not giving a two weeks notice to your current employer.
A majority of companies will not rehire you. You could immediately be put on a do not hire list for any role at any location with this company. While that may not seem like a bad thing now, keep in mind that one of the simple truths in life is that all things change. If you live in a region with limited opportunities or work in an industry with limited competition, this may be something to consider. While you may not want to work for the company now with its current leadership, what if things change later? Do you want to burn the bridge or keep it open for future possibilities?
An employer may withhold your pay. Let’s point out that this is illegal and plain wrong. However, pursuing legal action is emotionally draining and expensive. And unfortunately, in many cases, the costs to collect are often more than the lost pay.
If you are in an industry that is tight-knit, the kind where everyone knows everybody, leaving an employer in a bind could reflect poorly upon your reputation. The only thing that travels faster than good press, is bad press - and people will talk. Your reputation is currency and you should carefully determine the potential impact of it by not giving notice to your former employer.
You could damage your future employment relationship. Surprisingly, most good employers want you to give a two weeks’ notice to your former employer. By not doing so, you could be indicating to your new company that you would do the same to them and leave them in a bind.
By not giving your former employer notice, you could lose positive references from your past manager. If you have a good working relationship with your manager, you may not want to leave them in a bind (even if the company you work for is a less-than-great place to work).
You can lose out on unemployment benefits. In most states, you aren’t entitled to unemployment benefits if you quit voluntarily, but if you have good cause to quit, you may still be eligible. Leaving without any notice or ghosting an employer may complicate your ability to collect what is rightfully yours.
If you have an employment contract, there may be penalties for breaching it. In some situations, employees may have to pay damages or attorneys fees for violating an employment contract.
Can you get fired for putting in a notice?
Unfortunately, yes. It is not uncommon to give your employer a notice of resignation and be walked out right then and there. We can only speculate about the reasons why, but some managers may fear that you won’t work as hard and they’ll be wasting money by keeping you around. Others may be concerned about you having access to sensitive information once they know you’re leaving, especially if you are leaving to work for a competitor. You’ll want to carefully consider how much the employer relies on you. Can they do the job without you there? If they need you to transfer information to a new employee, that may provide a layer of security that you will not be fired on the spot. If there is a high degree of trust between you and your manager, this too could provide a layer of security. The best policy is to look at what has happened to other employees who have given notice and pay attention to the patterns you witness.
When should you give a notice?
Although it may seem like a double standard, the best policy is to always give a two-week notice to your employer and stick it out whenever possible. In most cases, the downsides of quitting a job without any notice outweigh the positives. Despite the fact that many employers will lay off employees without notice, many of those companies do offer some form of severance which could be interpreted similarly to two weeks of pay.
When shouldn’t you give a notice?
There are some instances when you may not give notice before quitting a job. If your mental health is at risk, you’ve been harassed, you’ve been asked to do something illegal, or you have a personal family emergency, quitting a job without notice may be the right thing to do. The more important question to ask in these situations is, should you quit without having another job offer, can you afford (financially and emotionally) to go without pay until you find your next job?
How to provide notice.
Whether you’ve decided to quit with notice or without notice, it’s always best to do the following:
Remain professional
Put your resignation in writing
Offer to assist with the transition, even if you’re not sticking around you could at the minimum provide a status update or spreadsheet to links of relevant tools to get the job done
Keep your resignation letter simple and express gratitude (this could be for something you learned)
Don’t air your grievances in your resignation
Meet with your direct manager one-to-one and let them know first (in-person or video is best)
Be prepared to go home immediately should they not accept your notice period
In Summary:
There are some situations that may require you to give a two-week or greater notice if you have an employment contract - check it!
In most situations, the downsides of not giving notice are greater than the advantages
Be prepared to be walked out the door when you hand in your notice of resignation
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