When should I resign?
July 26, 2014 1:18 PM   Subscribe

I'm quitting my job next month and I was planning on giving the standard two weeks notice. However, my husband has to have surgery (non-life threatening, but he'll be out of work for 1-2 weeks). If I actually gave two weeks, the first week of my notice would be the week that I'm taking time off for his surgery. So, should I wait until after I come back from his surgery and give just one week notice?

I'm planning on giving notice on August 1, with my last day being August 15. Husband is having knee surgery on Monday, August 4, and I took off from Monday the 4th - Thursday the 7th. I've already been approved for this time off and am planning on using PTO to cover the days I'm not working. I am concerned that if I give notice on the 1st, they'll just tell me to make that my last day since I'll be gone for almost 1/2 of my notice. My last day has to be August 15, as I'm starting my new job the following week.

On one hand, I'm kind of in the school where I'm thinking "screw it, it was a crappy place to work, they wouldn't give me any notice if they were laying me off, etc." (And it really is a crappy job, complete with sexual harassment, emotional manipulation and abuse, the whole nine yards…but that's another story and the main reason why I'm leaving.) I've been at this job for around 5 years…haven't left yet because I'm one of those people drowning in student loans.

On the other hand, my current direct supervisor is AWESOME. He's always had my back, has stood up for me to the higher-ups and has been really understanding when I had to take some time off earlier this year due to an illness that landed me in the hospital. I feel like if I only gave him one week, it would be kind of a slap in the face to him, even though I work in a retail/sales environment where my absence can easily be covered by other people. He's also aware that I'm not happy with my job, as I've been applying to other positions in the company (which he has been supportive of), but my move was blocked my the next manager up the chain…they won't say it in any sort of document-able way but they don't allow women in the jobs that I was applying for, even though I more than qualify.

If I did give notice on the 1st, there is a very real chance that they'll say that the 1st is my last day. While losing that PTO and the pay from the 2nd week in August would sting, I do have savings that can cover us. Still, I'd really hate to lose two full weeks pay. So…what to do?
posted by anonymous to Work & Money (10 answers total)
 
What is $EMPLOYER's policy on paying out PTO if you resign? Some states require that earned PTO be paid out in a final paycheck, though many don't. That might be worth looking into. If there is not a written policy on that, though, I'd say take the PTO and give one week's notice. Your boss will understand.
posted by jferg at 1:23 PM on July 26, 2014 [3 favorites]


First thing to do is to google if your state requires payment of accrued vacation days upon leaving the job. CA, for example, requires they be paid whether you quit, are fired, or whatever.

If your state pays you the vacation days, then leaving a job with vacation saved up is equivalent to taking it just before you leave.
posted by drjimmy11 at 1:24 PM on July 26, 2014 [1 favorite]


Depending on your location, your employer may be required to "pay out" any leftover PTO days you have when you leave your job (or, regardless of location, this may be your company's policy anyway). Is there any way you can check your employee handbook or ask an HR rep?
posted by telegraph at 1:24 PM on July 26, 2014


You're taking about giving up PTO to not hurt your supervisor's feelings?? And using your savings to cover it?? No. This is business. Apologize to him for the one week notice once you're back from your time off. I'm sure he'll understand.
posted by PorcineWithMe at 1:25 PM on July 26, 2014 [10 favorites]


One week's notice is just fine. Perfectly professional.

Why are you wasting time worrying about this?
posted by jbenben at 1:34 PM on July 26, 2014 [2 favorites]


He knows you are looking so, in effect, you have already given him a loose notice. He should already be looking for your replacement. Don't mess yourself up. Even giving the one week's notice could hurt you- they could easily tell you that they don't need you that last week. By the sound of things, you are not doing a job that only you can do which means that they don't need you as much as you need them.
posted by myselfasme at 1:35 PM on July 26, 2014 [1 favorite]


It's generally considered unprofessional to give two weeks notice, and then take a significant portion of that time off. So either give your notice so that your last day is right before you need to take a week off, or give your notice the day you come back from being out.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 1:48 PM on July 26, 2014


Give the notice that makes sense for you. Don't worry about your supervisor, I'm sure he understands. If he doesn't, oh well, it's not indentured servitude.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 2:12 PM on July 26, 2014 [2 favorites]


I don't know what country you are in or what kind of work you do. But, here in Canada, for example, you may be required to give several weeks or months of notice, depending on your value to the company. I can provide some links, but I don't know what country you are in.
posted by Chaussette and the Pussy Cats at 7:13 PM on July 26, 2014


He knows you're leaving eventually. He may know a little of your situation re: hub's surgery. It's fine. Give one week's notice. If you still feel a twinge of guilt, write the supervisor a nice note about how you enjoyed working with him, felt he was a good manager, concrete examples of where he supported you or taught you something valuable--whatever you can say with sincerity.

He'll most likely remember that long after he forgets whatever length of time you gave as notice.

Believe me, one week is fine. Crappy is saying I'm not coming in tomorrow.
posted by BlueHorse at 9:48 PM on July 26, 2014


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