Community Question: Do You Always Have To Give Two Weeks’ Notice?

There is often a high when you accept a new job, but nothing brings you crashing back down to earth more than trying to figure out how to tell your current job that you are leaving. While providing two weeks’ notice to a current company is standard etiquette, at US News, Lindsay Olson asks, “do you always have to give two weeks’ notice?”

“While there are no legal implications to not giving notice, it is courtesy, and not just to your boss. Consider the people you work with and any others who might be burdened with your workload if you cut out early. Add to that the fact that they will be scrambling to find someone to replace you, and you’ve instantly created enemies by leaving early.”

Leaving on good terms means it is easier to ask for a recommendation or come back to the organization down the line, if you choose to do so. But on the flip side, there are instances when leaving immediately may be what’s best, especially if your current job is in a hostile work environment. Lindsay continues,

“If you feel you have been harassed or verbally abused, there’s no benefit to staying. If you’ve done your best to rectify the situation, you’re probably not too worried about getting a reference from this job anyway. Take your sanity and go.”

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by Kimberly Maul