First post. When to give notice without screwing company

[pb4uski]

I tried to be nice. Gave long notice despite everyone here saying 2 weeks.

It was a mistake. Although my boss and team appreciated it, The Corp didn't care. Not only that, they gave me some stressful post-separation problems after I left. (I can't really discuss those, but they were extremely stressful and purely a product of The Corp's heartlessness.)

The Corp will be OK after you are gone.

Would the post separation problems that you expereinced been any different if you had given them only 2 weeks notice?

 

[PaunchyPirate]

Reveal nothing until all RSUs, bonuses, etc. have fully cleared into your control the way you want them. Then give as much notice as you want, but at least 2 weeks. Two weeks is perfectly fine and the accepted norm. You should not feel pressured to give any more than that. I gave 6 weeks notice in order to allow my direct management and team to properly adjust. But that was my call.

 

[JoeWras]

Would the post separation problems that you expereinced been any different if you had given them only 2 weeks notice?

Honest answer? No.

The Corp is a heartless machine no matter you give 4 months notice or 4 minutes. I'm sorry to confuse the issue. I didn't mean a 2 wk notice would fix that. Rather, the point is The Corp is a machine that runs a certain way no matter what the little cogs do.

Giving more notice will not affect The Corp. It may make your boss feel better or worse. Depends on the boss. Some bosses may get enough time to really screw you by allocating bonuses or RSUs to others, for example. Others may get more time to throw a party for you. You never know. I know it caused me a lot more work that ended up being unnecessary and an added burden to me. The extra provisionary work helped nobody in the end. But my boss was happy I did it for him, even though later he told me it turned out to be unnecessary.

My boss was nice. My extra time give me another click on the bonus sheet, and he honored it and gave it to me instead of spreading it elsewhere. He didn't have to do this. I was lucky.

 

[mystang52]

I think it's insane to give notice prior to getting the RSU. Feel free to give a long notice after then, but recall business is business; give notice before RSU and you may never see them.

 

[audreyh1]

This comes up repeatedly, and the answers from those who've been there are almost universal. But it's not unusual to think you're doing your employer a favor by giving more than two weeks notice - it's a mistake more often than not, but only the OP has any idea how it might actually play out.

There’s nothing wrong with giving 2 weeks notice no matter what position you hold. If they counter with 3-4 weeks, that’s up to you, but no way you should agree to more than 4 weeks max.

We’re all conscientious, but we ALL overestimate how indispensable we are to our employers. No one is. CEOs, C-suites and others up and down the org chart are replaced on short notice every day - and their companies go on just fine all the time.

I was a senior manager, and gave more than 4 weeks notice - it was a big mistake. My boss who’d never said an unkind word about me, even held me up as a positive example to my peers, glowing Perf Appraisals every year, made my lame duck period unnecessarily awkward. I guess he never expected me to retire at 57 yo, nor did any senior manager.

And as others have noted, if your company gets into financial trouble, they won’t hesitate to let you go - with no notice in many cases.

Do you think in your case the awkwardness was because you were retiring and he wasn’t (jealousy)?

 

[Al18]

You have more knowledge about how your company handles resignations. Do you have special knowledge useful to the company that you need to pass-on? Do you have special technical skills? Do you want to work part-time as an advisor?

Based on what you’ve shared, I would wait 1 month after receiving the RSU and give 30 days notice. Some companies will welcome the notice and work with you on a plan. Other companies will immediately cut off email and all company computer access, hand you a cardboard box and say they want you out of the building in 30 minutes.

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

It's a systemic problem within the org to do more with less. It's been an ongoing struggle. Last year my boss asked me if I "needed to work" (financially bound to a salary), and I said not really. My husband's salary covers expenses so she knows I am not starving.

That's an interesting question she asked. Maybe they're planning more cutbacks and you might be in line for a layoff which could work in your favor with a settlement and other benefits. You might want to explore that a little. Two weeks is all I would give. I got no such notice when folks from head office walked in one morning and closed down the entire office with no notice whatsoever. We were escorted out the door within 2 hours but it turned out to be the best day of my life, it came with a decent package and I was already planning to leave anyway.

 

[OldShooter]

What's wrong with me? Others recommended the same but I have a pit in my stomach about it.

Years ago I was talking to one of the old bears about this topic. He said: "Do you want to see how critical you are here? Put your hand in a bucket of water, then take it out. Look for the hole."

I have found this to be solid wisdom both in a couple of instances for myself and even more frequently when I have lost what I considered to be an irreplaceable troop.

You sort of owe them two weeks. Anything earlier creates some risk on your part and you're not getting compensated for that.

 

[Koolau]

Only you know the culture of your company and of its members. So giving "statutory" notice (whatever your company requires) is all you have to do. Now, whether they might screw you over on the RSU is something only you can guess at.

At my old Megacorp, everything was set in stone. If you were here on such and such date, you were eligible for XYZ benefit and as long as you didn't retire before then, you would get the benefit. Your immediate supervision/management had no input.

We did receive bonuses each year and unless you had been warned of impending disciplinary action (hard to end up with that) you would get your share of the bonus (based on days you were with Megacorp the year before.) I left in Oct. and got 9 months worth of the bonus come the next year.

I'm with Joe on this. You owe your company a good day's w*rk for your pay and statutory notice. Other than that, you gotta look out for yourself. Your company is looking out for itself with little regard for you in most cases.

I still thank God that my Megacorp, for all its faults and seeming shortsightedness was pretty benign toward empl*yees. I left with little notice because Megacorp changed my w*rk assignment and I didn't want to do it and I didn't need the money. I was gone before the echo faded, so to speak. I still got everything previously promised to me by Megacorp.

Good luck and remember that YMMV.

 

[pb4uski]

Giving two weeks notice at my last employer would have been considered bad form.... not of the bridge burning type, but bad form nonetheless. OTOH, if you were leaving to join a competitor then I think it is likely that they would have walked you out the door, and IMO understandably so.

 

[donheff]

I gave four months' notice, but I was completing 31 years with one Federal agency, was well regarded, and knew there would be no retaliation (other than a bunch of requests to stay).

You say you are conscientious. Any good employer would value you. And any good employer would appreciate sufficient notice to prepare for your exit, maybe to plan a retirement party. But is your employer a good employer? How have they treated you? How about others? How have previous retirements gone? Did they ever retaliate?

I don't understand the knee jerk reactions to treat your employer like crap unless they treated you like crap or are known to push people out the door as soon as they learn they are leaving. You know your situation better than any of us. Do what makes sense to you. All of that said, if you are in doubt of how they will treat you, two weeks' notice is fine. If they ask why the short notice, tell them you were afraid they might shove you out the door.

 

[ArmchairMillionaire]

Hi folks. What a great community! I've been enjoying the collab here, thanks to all.

52 yo. Target retire may 2025. Very conscientious employee, don't want to screw my company, my team. When should I come clean on my intention to peel out of there? RSU hits March 2025, was planning to do then (I cannot wait, literally).. How does that sound? My dept is really lean and can barely keep it together so feels like I should give more time but don't want to tip.my hand and possibly lose RSU, I dunno if that's a realistic outcome ( maybe I'm paranoid?)? I'm a director and have weight within the dept so know the sh*t will hit the fan (and no I don't think that highly of myself) but feel it's a sink swim situation where we are so pressured with inadequate resources. But then a part of me is thinking that's not my problem if the company sucks.
I'm sure MANY of you went thru the same. Would love some guidance from this amazing community.
Much gratitude.

I just read an article today (might have been a repeat) where a woman let her team know in advance that she would be giving notice in the future when the time was right for her and was told that would be no problem. Then on the day she gave her two weeks notice the company told her she was done as of that moment. I do not know what RSU is, so I can't help with that. Just wait until you know it's time and then give your notice. If you're a director it would probably be impossible to train a replacement in only two weeks, but on the other hand, when you want to be done, you want to be done.

 

[Midpack]

Do you think in your case the awkwardness was because you were retiring and he wasn’t (jealousy)?

Could be, but he was the founders son - so he literally had $$$$ millions on me.

 

[Midpack]

I don't understand the knee jerk reactions to treat your employer like crap unless they treated you like crap or are known to push people out the door as soon as they learn they are leaving. You know your situation better than any of us. Do what makes sense to you. All of that said, if you are in doubt of how they will treat you, two weeks' notice is fine. If they ask why the short notice, tell them you were afraid they might shove you out the door.

Two weeks is customary, so I don't see it as 'treating an employer like crap,' even though some of us who were considered star employees have been treated like crap punished for giving more notice. No responsible management should be without succession plans for anyone they consider critical to operations. If they don't have any plan, that's entirely on them. And if they have a requirement beyond two weeks, it should be clearly documented.

 

[CO-guy]

When I resigned, I gave plenty of notice. I even offered to assist (remotely) for an additional year at half-time. After the year of half-time was over, the organization still hadn't found a replacement and their expectation was that I would come back full-time because I was still needed. Spoiler: I didn't.

It's admirable not to want to leave your colleagues hanging, but that's neither your problem nor will doing so change the systemic problems your colleagues are facing.

 

[Diogenes]

Personal data point here. I was a co-founder of a tech start-up. Not software, but still more or less "tech". We had our travails and management changes. New CEO comes in, cleaning house. He and I chatted regularly. Then less regularly. Then rumblings of dissatisfied investors and the company at-risk. I commiserated with him, offering to take other assignments, plugging gaps where needed... or even to take an exit-package, if the company struggles to meet payroll. He thanked me profusely, reassuring me that no near-term actions are needed. In fact, HR asked my opinion and advice on various hiring and personnel matters. They scheduled an afternoon meeting, which I thought was a continuation of such matters. Instead, I was let go... right then and there. An hour later, the CEO called, saying that "in all honesty, he couldn't find a justification for my position".

Lessons:

1. Be circumspect, reserved and cagey.
2. Think only of yourself.
3. Expect the worst from management; that's why they're management (I was technically management too!).
4. Be mindful of when RSUs vest. Don't leave a day too soon, or a day too late.
5. Once you're gone, former workplace friends... won't be.
6. Never trust a CEO!

 

[Dtail]

I was a Director (too) but at a Wall Street firm. I volunteered for a package and if I didn't I would have been let go that time or perhaps the next time.
2 weeks is all I would give. Everyone is replaceable even in tight work allocation areas.

 

[HarveyS]

2 weeks notice. They'll be fine without you. If not, they can make you a ridiculous offer to stay for x months longer.

 

[Jerry1]

It all depends on your relationship with your management team and the corporate culture. I am still friends with my boss 5+ years now after retirement. I knew my boss well and knew that the company would support me in my move out the door. I gave unofficial notice by going part time for my last two years which everyone knew was an off ramp for me. Then, the company was reducing force and I volunteered to go. Got a package and had a beer with my boss the day before they “let me go”.

Unless you have that kind of relationship, you give them whatever notice you are contractually obligated to give and you give it after you’ve vested in any benefit/bonus you expect to get. You should plan your notice with the expectation that you will be marched out the door the minute you announce.

I’m not sure there’s much, if any middle ground here. The stakes are too high.

 

[brett]

Think of it this way. IF you were the Director and had a bunch of RSU's to allocate amongst your staff what benefit could you possible derive from allocating some to an employee who will be retiring in a month or two

Ditto for any employee bonus programs. The goal is to reward employees, encourage them to stay and to work harder.

 

[RetMD21]

It's a systemic problem within the org to do more with less. It's been an ongoing struggle. Last year my boss asked me if I "needed to work" (financially bound to a salary), and I said not really. My husband's salary covers expenses so she knows I am not starving.

As a matter of policy I always maintained that I wasn't getting enough $.

 

[MC Rider]

I remember giving 1 week because the new company wanted me in 1 week.
Old company wanted 2. Sorry no can do.
All the problem files that came up, I just calendered them ahead a couple weeks for someone else.

 

[JoeWras]

Personal data point here. I was a co-founder of a tech start-up. Not software, but still more or less "tech". We had our travails and management changes. New CEO comes in, cleaning house. He and I chatted regularly. Then less regularly. Then rumblings of dissatisfied investors and the company at-risk. I commiserated with him, offering to take other assignments, plugging gaps where needed... or even to take an exit-package, if the company struggles to meet payroll. He thanked me profusely, reassuring me that no near-term actions are needed. In fact, HR asked my opinion and advice on various hiring and personnel matters. They scheduled an afternoon meeting, which I thought was a continuation of such matters. Instead, I was let go... right then and there. An hour later, the CEO called, saying that "in all honesty, he couldn't find a justification for my position".

Lessons:

1. Be circumspect, reserved and cagey.
2. Think only of yourself.
3. Expect the worst from management; that's why they're management (I was technically management too!).
4. Be mindful of when RSUs vest. Don't leave a day too soon, or a day too late.
5. Once you're gone, former workplace friends... won't be.
6. Never trust a CEO!

This is a common story and should be a lesson for people who consider themselves super important. Tech founders are routinely shown the way out. Happens all the time. Amazingly, even a Founder-CEO can't create a hole in the bucket of water!

I'd add this:
7. Don't trust the VCs or BOD

In my previous company, we thought we were doing so well. A great place to work. The founder and CEO seemed to have it all together. He was well liked and we thought we were on the right path.

Then one day, he's gone. Just like that. The VCs replaced him. VCs were impatient and wanted to firesale the place instead of growing it. What a toxic mess that place immediately became.

 

[MichaelB]

Wait until after the RSUs and then give notice. Two weeks is enough, but if it makes you feel better, you can give a month.

I agree with this. Protect the RSU, especially if it’s critical to the retirement finances. Don’t disclose, or even give a hint, of your plans. This is the highest priority right now.

Once the RSUs have been collected you can choose how much notice to give. Wanting to leave on a high note and not leave your team or employer on the hook are fine thoughts. You can decide then how much more of your life time you want to dedicate to them.

 

[MrEd]

Agree 100%

Remember retirement is about YOU

NOT the company.