Ask HN: When to notify your employer you are going to leave? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: When to notify your employer you are going to leave?

20 pointsmxmpawn29 comments

I decided I'll resign by the end of the year and I'm thinking if it's better to tell my boss about it now or to tell him when the resignation date is close.

If I tell him now is good because I give them enough time to look for a replacement but is bad because I'll be in a weird limbo for three months.

If I tell him days before leaving they'll have less time to look for a replacement but I'll avoid being in a employee/non employee limbo.

What do you think?

View on HN

In the USA, two weeks. Don't give earlier notice than two weeks unless you have a close, long-term relationship with your boss, and you're absolutely sure that won't create a problem.

For example, by policy, some companies would require your boss to advise HR and terminate your network/building access as soon as you give notice. In that case, your early notice either leaves your boss violating policy, or leaves you unemployed with two weeks pay in lieu of notice (of them terminating you). If in doubt, and if you have that close relationship, you may want to discuss your departure on a general and hypothetical basis first before discussing specifics.

Still try to avoid surprising your boss, as much as you can. For example, you could try to take on more maintenance and documentation work, and fewer new projects. A good manager may get the hint, and will appreciate the consideration in retrospect even if not. There's also a small but non-zero chance that a bad manager would turn this into a reason to fire you, so judge the tradeoff against that long-term relationship carefully.

My own personal policy back in the day when I was single, debt-free, and working hourly wage jobs was that when they notice I'm gone they've had all the notice they were gonna get.

Back then, life was too short to spend it somewhere boring. There were too many places to see, things to do, etc. All my employers had my home address at my parent's house for anything they needed to send so if I had a new opportunity come up that sounded better than my current situation I loaded my stuff into my duffle bag, checked out of the motel or folded the tent (whichever I was using at the time) and hit the road. In a four year period I worked from Arkansas to Oregon, south Texas to Montana for more than a dozen companies. Sometimes I was there for months, other times just long enough to find out the guy who hired me lied about the pay rate or other terms of employment. A couple of the companies never paid me for the work I did though I worked in one case for four weeks, dawn to dark-thirty, 7 days a week. The industry was in collapse mode at the time so it was easy for me to write it off and move on.

For a long time I never held any job longer than 3 years. I'd get an itch and start looking around. Then I found myself in the position where I had so much varied experience that friends encouraged me to start consulting. Been doing that for 20 years. Not a bad gig.

Nowadays I'm tied to real estate, taxes, debts, the finest spouse anyone could ever ask for and some great children. It all worked out okay for me.

Companies come and go. Enjoy life while you are young. If that voice in your head tells you to move on, pack up and hit the road. It'll all work out in the end.

If in USA, most states have "at will" employment which means you can leave anytime. But the professional courtesy is 2 weeks notice. If you are not in USA, check your local country rules. I for example worked in HongKong for a while and we had a min. 3 month notice period on both sides. I have heard most of Asia and even Europe may be similar.

I would however advise you to think about yourself first without feeling bad for the employer. Be fair though. If you have a good relationship with your Boss and team and they depend on you for some valuable work, 2 weeks is absolute minimum so that they can work on a transition plan. If your relationship with your boss/team is really really good and if your boss counters asking for say more time, feel free to negotiate that. I did that for my last job when I quit and my boss wanted me to stay for at least a month and I obliged because I was ok with that since I loved my team.

If your relationship with your boss/team is not good or if you are not that valuable to them anyway (to be blunt), be prepared to be let go immediately on notice with extra pay. Companies do it for their own peace of mind and don't take offense with that but be ready for it.

Either way, do what is best for YOU, not for anyone else but try not to burn any bridges for all the hard work you have done so far with this company. People underestimate the power of past employers connection/networks sometimes. Yes, leave when you need to but always try to do it on good terms. Good luck!!

> 3 month notice period on both sides. I have heard most of Asia and even Europe may be similar.

In the UK it's most commonly a month for software positions. Some blue collar jobs or hourly service jobs often allow a 2 weeks' notice.

If you are in the United States, particularly CA, just don’t give more than 2 weeks’ notice. You aren’t required to give any notice but it’s professional courtesy to give this much notice.

Make sure that your manager is willing to give you a good reference for your future gigs. If you suspect that that will not be the case, then just use the 2 weeks notice to tie up loose ends personally and getting some downtime before your next gig. The courtesy you extend to your boss is Not entirely free - your boss is also expected to extend professional courtesy by giving you a good reference, assuming you are not leaving because of performance issues or for cause.

Were you hired with any clause that determines notice on either side? Often tech hires have a mutuality clause. Were you hired and paid on a monthly basis? This may affect things, but you might only have the statutory 2 weeks? Others are right, once notice is given people are often walked out and all login credentials cancelled. What has happened to others like you at this company in the past - if you know.

I normally give notice as early as possible, but take note I'm in Asia (Malaysia). If they want to negotiate it, this gives them room to. I've had a 25% salary increase and substantial increase to benefits, but it was done in a dodgy/deceptive manner, so I quit anyway.

People are reciprocative. If you treat your bosses as just another thing, they'll do the same with you. I'd rather be the better person and not live with the guilt, and have to justify that they would do the same to me.

Normally, even with 3 months notice, they treat me with respect and as a full employee, and there's usually a little farewell party on the last day (which often is a Saturday). I'd offer to fully train a replacement (but they never find one) and a lot of the remaining time is spent documenting everything to make the transition easier. But again this is for smaller companies, and not in the US.

It depends almost entirely on seniority and your relationship to the company. I found that for most IC jobs, once you give your two week notice you immediately lose a lot of the relational power that you previously enjoyed. There is no incentive to take on new projects, so you quickly find yourself out of things to do. Depending on how the company handles your departure, two weeks is either nowhere near enough time or way more than necessary. As you increase in seniority, there are more people who rely on you to get your job done. Therefore the task of finding a replacement and training them is larger, and so more lead time is appreciated. For manager level and above, a month would be ideal if you can swing it. For executive roles, you should ideally be letting your fellow executives or the board of directors know about your departure multiple months in advance.

How did your employer treat other employees that gave their notice? I would let that guide your actions.

Did they march them out with security and cut off their network access?

Did they let them finish out their 2 weeks notice helping wrap things up followed be a going away party at the end?

I would only give the typical notice, 2 weeks here.

I've given more notice to try to be a team player and it gets awkward being the 'short timer' for more than a couple weeks.

Definitely agree to get all your stuff out of the office before giving your notice, just in case.

Don't feel like you should give them more notice, even if you're friends with them, two weeks notice is what they are expecting.

On a side note I'd try to have a new job lined up even if you negotiate a start date a month or two out for some time off. Easier to find a job when you have one is the rule.

Good luck leaving and starting your new adventure.

Rule one: wait until you have your next job.

Why are you leaving? If you are going to go to school, then you might want to come back later, I would start dropping hints.

Do you need a sabbatical? Some places can deal with that.

Since they do not want to loss you, by HINTING, not telling you might be able to work something out.

If you are retiring, then I would tell them now. They will appreciate being able to bring on a new person and having you train them.

If you are going to a competitor, expect to be bum rushed out the door. Do you want to be able to come back? Or do you despise these people? In general it is never good to burn bridges.

The usual employment notice period is the pay period. One employer had a budget cut and let me know three months ahead of time. Two others took my access card and provided severance. When I changed jobs, I let my current employer know the situation and they generally held on to me for enough time for me to wrap things up. In a number of cases I helped out my previous employer after starting with my new employer. When it comes time to find a new job, it helps to happy references from previous employers.

Two weeks notice, be prepared for the day you give notice to be your last day. Make sure you’ve taken all of your PTO if they’re not required to pay it out when you leave as cash.

Depends on your relationship with your employer.

My current employer, I'd tell them immediately, and even that I was interviewing.... but I have a great relationship with them and it's a small organization.

If it was a place I DID NOT have a great relationship with I'd give them two weeks notice, BUT also be prepared to be walked out right then and there when I told them (this was actually policy at some places I've worked).

My state is at-will. My company does not permit references to be given. The company will not give you notice if they are terminating you.

When I leave, I'm packing all my stuff and giving my notice on the day I plan to leave. If the company is not loyal to its employees, why should I be loyal to them.

Watch out about this. When you leave an organization everyone else talks about you if you do it in a funny way.

Those stories go through the grapevine and to other organizations. I had a manager say he was a great fit except he didn't give his 2 week notice at company XYZ when he left the team that my brother was not working on.

Suffice to say an awesome candidate didn't get the role.

Edit: Also remember never to give more than the legal notice period. This is mentioned in other comments as well. Also prior to giving your 2 weeks notice make sure you pack all your belongings and having nothing personal left on your desk when you go to break the news. You may be walked straight out without the chance to get your items as it will be mailed to you.

I think my org is insulated more from others. In my 8 years, I see hardly anyone being hired from outside orgs and few people leaving for other orgs. I don't think I've heard any stories about people not being hired for how they quit. We've even had people just not show up.

Seems you already have the basic pros and cons. To add here, I have seen a colleague who decided to break the news in advance because of good personal and working relations with the employer, and offer to help in the meantime.

I would tell him two weeks before your planned departure.

Always give 2 weeks, no more, no less. If you give too much notice, there is the chance that they terminate you right away (you are not invested in the company long term, why keep you), or as soon as they find a replacement (what if that happens quickly). I have worked for companies where as soon as you put in your 2 week notice they just pay you out 2 weeks and terminate your employment that day.

While this is generally true, there are situations where departments cannot afford to lose you (yet are handcuffed by the higher-ups to the point where they can't incentivize you to stay), and if you know for sure you're in that situation (usually that's less true than you think), then maybe giving them some extra notice would be good.

But you shouldn't feel like you have to, it's on the company for not being better prepared and having some contingencies and some knowledge and responsibility sharing of some sort in place.

Like someone at my job just gave three months notice today, and my company would be insane to let him go early. They are utterly reliant on him. And it will take time to train someone to follow in his footsteps.

I hope they do hire someone before he leaves that he can train, and not just let him leave without replacing him like they've done so many other times before, because they would be in deep trouble this time.

Like maybe they lose their clients from missing their contractual obligations and the department will have to shut down trouble.

But if I were in those shoes, I probably wouldn't give more than a month at the very most, though.

The one time I did that, I was the only programmer at a small company, and I felt like I'd be leaving them in a really bad position if I didn't give them more notice.

But it didn't seem like the company took advantage of that month anyway, and didn't hire anyone for me to train during that entire time. I mostly just documented what I did as best as I could for two weeks and then just did my normal job until it was time to leave. But they let me keep working the entire month, and didn't force me out early.

Look at it from the opposite side...if the company were going to lay you off. They would give you maybe 2 weeks, or payment in lieu of notice. You might get a severance that in theory could cover a few weeks while you search for a new job. But even if you could not afford to lose this job, under no circumstances would they ever give you 3 months' notice.

It depends also where you live. In some countries, for example Norway, employment contracts can have 2-3 months notice period even for normal employees.

two weeks at minimum if you want to leave in good standing

What is this "notice?" Either leave or don't leave.

In my country it’s normally written in the contract. US sounds different though.

I would only consider this if I were retiring from a company which I had an outstanding relationship with management and fellow employees.

The 1950s two weeks is a thing of the past and no longer viable or practical.

A fair number of employers will not even want you to stay through the end of the day - you are no longer to be trusted. Likewise when they can employees, whether for cause or 'cost savings.'

By staying, you also open yourself up to future accusations of sabotage, theft of IP, etc

I'd give 48 hours at most.

I'd be very careful with this. While it's true that this can happen, you could be burning a lot of bridges if you did this. I would see how other people are treated when they quit and see if they get rid of people right away or honor the two week notice before pulling this. You could make the entire department hate you on top of obviously never being able to work at that company again.

Not sure how giving a day or two notice vs 10 (two weeks) is going to matter in the big picture for anyone. You'll be clocking in/out 9-5 and distracted by people (hopefully) wishing you well. Anything you do will need extra review.

You can certainly put to paper in a day what your daily job responsibilities are as well as any outstandings on current projects.

As to working at the company again, the odds are probably low as you would not be leaving if things were good for you. Are they not paying you well enough? Is the job not challenging enough? Will they not move you to another area more suited to your talents/aspirations?

The only exception I could see would be leaving because of a move to accomodate a spouse but then again, would the company view you as reliable in the future?

Reply on news.ycombinator.com