Co-worker leaving - What's our responsibility?

[dianajh73]

There are 3 of us working in a Public Health Program - Home Visitation. Our co-worker has been looking for another job in order to move out of the area. She was recently offered a job, but it doesn't start until January (4 months from offer). She is planning to leave in December, but is not going to tell our Supervisor until she is ready to give 2 weeks notice.

We just went through this process with another co-worker and it has a serious impact on our program and our caseloads. While we have supported her decision to look for other work and have encouraged her to find a position that fits her needs, she has now put us in an uncomfortable situation because she outright lied to our Supervisor at a staff meeting when the supe asked her if she had any offers or plans to leave.

The 2 of us that will remain are both unsure where to go from here. This is a government job, so they cannot replace her until after she leaves and she passed probation, so they cannot let her go without going through union.

Her feeling is that she shared this in confidence and it is her business not ours, while we feel that government paying for additional training (2 day out of town training with no application past this program, plus additional days intermittently) for someone who isn't staying is selfish and uses money from the traning budget that could be used for her replacement once there is one. Along with the fact that we are a small, tight-knit program and WE will still be here after January and we have a really good relationship with our supervisor who is incredibly supportive.

Any advice?? Neither of us wants to "go behind her back", but there are months still to go and we are both trying to prepare.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Your loyalty is misplaced. Your primary concern should be the patients you serve and how they will be impacted. Also, just imagine how your manager will feel if she realizes that you knew about this for some time but did not share the knowledge with her... I'd feel betrayed, wouldn't you? It could damage your working relation with your manager and co-workers.

From a practical standpoint, your manager needs to know so that s/he can take steps to try to ensure continuity of services. It may tick off your soon-to-be-gone colleague, but she is operating from a self-centered position that lacks integrity and should not expect your support for her 'bad actions'.

[savoytruffle, BSN, RN]

I can empathize with your colleague for not wanting her manager to know she is looking elsewhere. I wanted to be forthcoming with my plane s and it backfired for me. I told my DON that I was interviewing and she told me that she would be as we'll, and if she found my replacement before I put in notice, well I would be SOL. I was treated horribly from that day on. A pariah. I ended up leaving without finding my next job first and going six weeks without pay. I will never tip my hand again. Your coworker shouldn't have told you her intentions. That puts you in the middle. You are the one that has to carry on when she is gone. Which relationship do you want to damage? You're not going to come out of this without hurting one of them. Better choose carefully.

[dansamy]

You really don't have any right to disclose to your manager your coworker's intentions. January is a long way away. Anything could happen that would necessitate your coworker declining her new position & staying with your company.

Sent from my HTC One X using allnurses.com

[Marshall1]

I see both sides...have you spoken to your coworker about your concerns and specifically asked her to reconsider? If not, maybe explain to her what you've written here and why you would like her to go ahead and tell the upper level she is leaving. It would also give them time to find someone else/train that person I would think. If she is not required to give more than 2 wks notice then she isn't technically doing anything wrong but that doesn't make it "right" either - if that makes sense. Also, 4 months to start a new job seems like a long time.

Also, is there something about your supervisor or someone above them that makes people uncomfortable in going to them about leaving? You said this is the 2nd time you have gone through this..made me wonder.

[dianajh73]

Thank you everyone for your feedback. She has passed probation here and it is a government agency, so they will not be able to fire her without serious cause and our former co-worker gave 2 week notice because her new job was beginning training immediately. She would have given more if possible because our supervisor is really supportive, even though she is encouraging everyone to stay for 2-3 yrs because of the nature of the program, she understands the need to make the right decision for each persons individual circumstances.

@Marshall1 - I had the same thoughts you do - I had spoken with my current co-worker since, and asked her is she wants to be the type of person who does the "legal" thing or one who does the "right thing" for the program? Her main concern is how she is treated by our supervisor because she doesn't want to be left out of trainings etc..., but none of us really thinks that is likely. They cannot hire someone in the interum - our other co-worker left in August and they just posted the opening last week, so we will be lucky to have someone in and trained before the next leaves. Even knowing she is leaving they won't be able to consider looking for someone until she is actually gone.

Re: 4 months - The position she accepted had two possible start dates because they are planning for the role-out of computer charting and hired staff now so that everything can go smoothly once it starts.

Thank you again for your help in allowing me to solidify my thoughts - I will continue to encourage her to tell our supervisor, but also be honest in saying that I am not comfortable waiting until December either.

Our boss does know she has been looking, so it isn't as if it will come entirely out of left field, just going to take planning.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

First things first: unless this coworker is a personal friend outside of work who is likely to remain so after her relocation ... you have zero responsibility to "keep a secret" as if you were 12-year olds.

The extended time between your coworker's acceptance of a new position and vacating her current job is less common, but not earth-shattering. It happens, especially when relocation is involved. It can be managed. It would be nice if she would recognize the big picture, and not sniffle about being "left out" of training due to the fact that she will soon be leaving the position and therefore the organization would be providing her with additional training/skills ... but would not reap any return for having done so.

Your coworker has taken a situation that could have been handled professionally and turned it into a junior high lunch table scenario.

I would speak privately with your manager.

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

Does your co-worker need to be gone to post the position or have given notice and date of last day? I worked in academic administration before heading back to nursing school full-time. My boss knew I was applying to nursing schools and I knew how long it took for job listings to be posted and folks hired there. I hated to leave in the lurch, so I gave notice three months in advance. The paperwork to post the job could go in the second I gave an end date; even so, the posting went up two weeks before I left and the person that replaced me was hired on my last day there (and came in on his own time that day to spend 4 hours training with me) and started a week and half later. Of course, I had been working there 7 years and respected the program a lot. I know what I did is the exception, not the rule. In a less friendly and welcoming workplace, I might have not given as much notice.

I agree that your co-worker has put you in a terrible position as it sounds like your workplace is friendly and welcoming and that your boss would not treat her any differently knowing she was leaving. Maybe that is worth mentioning to your co-worker (which you may have already).