2 week notice...legally obligated?????

Gomer · Nov 26, 2002

Originally posted by teddybear433183
I never did actually state the last day...I am not sure if I would use them as a reference since I only worked there for about a month

Then you didn't give them notice. Start back at square one with a dated (the date you submitted it) resignation notice. Include your last day (date) of work and sign it. That's how professionals do it.

cargal · Nov 27, 2002

What if your paycheck bounced and other mean nasty ugly unmentionalble things happened to the staff and clients? And you had another job and they wanted you to start right away? And you only had two days to go and just couldn't bring yourself to go risk your license, not to mention your umm personal risk for a communicable condition, again? The stress will get you or the @$#E%s will.

Agnus · Nov 27, 2002

Originally posted by mattsmom81
When giving notice always add the last sentence "Tuesday the 27th night shift will by my last shift worked" to leave no doubt.

Agree with the comments about trying hard not to burn your bridges. Even if you hated the god awful place, try not to say so or it may come back to bite you in the butt. Bosses can be quite vindictive and they DO talk to other potential bosses in the area....off the record and in whispers. Use your diplomacy to avoid peeving your boss, if possible. (I learned that one the hard way...LOL!)

If a nurse fails to give 2 weeks notice and this is a policy violation, this could be documented as a black mark on your work record.... forever in areas that use Group One ( background check agency.)

I guess I don't know anyone who regrets being professional in these situations.

Never heard about this Group one thing. Tell me more.

I agree nurses and employers talk. Keep in mind your boss the HR person, etc. are employees too. Employees change jobs. Everyone does, in this time and age. Nursing is a very small world. Someday someplace when you least expect it you may run into this boss or someone else who saw or heard what happened. That person may be a hiring athority someplace else. She may be your boss again. She may... anyway you get the picture.

I agree legally you have no obligation to give any notice. However, since you did and since you did not specify a day (lesson learned) it would be a good idea to work those two days unless this is an absolute imposibility. If it really is impossible then admit you made a mistake, and let them know your final date. It would be best to do this in writing with an apology for the inconvenience. Doing it in writing creates a record that you corrected the misunderstanding in a professional way, and protects you.

I agree burning bridges can come back to bite. Never Ever say any thing negative about an old employer to a new one. This will loose you a job offer because the thought is, if you talk bad about someone else you will talk bad about the new employer. Some things we must keep to our selves..

sjoe · Nov 27, 2002

Good advice above about a follow-up letter clarifying your notice.

Based on MY experience:

1) If you are an "at will" employee, you don't have to give ANY notice at all. To do so is simply a courtesy. They can fire you at any time, without notice, and you can quit at any time, also without notice. (What's sauce for the goose...). Plain and simple. If you have a binding contract of some sort (doubtful), then the terms of the contract dictate these matters.

2) Don't put that job on your resume or list it as part of your job history on applications in the future. If asked to account for the "blank time," simply say you were taking a vacation. (I've taken a LOT of vacations, myself.)

3) Don't use these people as a reference. Ever.

4) In the future, if you make friends with or have a good relationship with ANY charge nurse, head nurse, etc., ask that person to write you a letter of reference and to serve as your reference if contacted by a future prospective employer. Forget the others.

IMHO.

CraftyLPN · Nov 27, 2002

Thanks guys...I know I may come across "dense" but I don't mean too.There's just yet so much to learn out in this field and I don't want to "flub" it up...and I appreciate any advice I can get.............thxu thxu thxu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sjoe · Nov 27, 2002

teddy--no apologies required. you are wise to cover your butt since, as you are currently seeing, you can't trust your workplace or supervisers to do so, or even not to simply lie to you if they think you are stupid or scared enough to believe them.

(this is also a good time to remind you to get your own malpractice insurance.)

best wishes and remember the slogan:

Agnus · Nov 27, 2002

Nothing dense about you teddybear.

mattsmom81 · Nov 29, 2002

Agnus, Group One is one of the 'consumer reporting agencies' that collects data for potential employers...and is affiliated with the local hospital association in my area. They keep a database of employment records (manager's and HR statements) on nurses in the area, former addresses and maiden names, so police records, court records and even financial credit records can be accessed.

On an employment app here you must give permission for a background check and consumer report to be considered for a job interview. Many hospitals/ managers are quite vindictive with these reports, unfortunately, so nurses must be very very careful in my area as the black mark doesn't ever go away. Even bankruptcy is forgiven in 7 years but Group One never forgets.

The 'agency' denies any liability for false statements by employers, and thus they dodge any legal trouble. HR folks are secretive about what is on the reports, so sadly many nurses do not even KNOW there is 'dirt' on them...circulating via Group One. These nurses have just moved on...into another line of work or area...because they never get called for interviews and are successfully 'blackballed' in the community.

Once (if) a nurse finds out about a negative report, she can request a copy to view (for a fee of course) then add a statement of their own to the report (for another fee) to dispute a former manager's comment, if they wish to do so.

Anyone have this group or a similar one in their area?

fence · Nov 29, 2002

I know alot of places have in their policy that a 2 week notice is required or 30 days if you hold a managment position. That is the policy where I currently work. Also the unspoken policy they have is if you are in management and you give your notice...they send security to your office and escort you out of the building immediately.

Agnus · Nov 30, 2002

Isn't that interesting you are required to give 30 days notice but when you do you are escorted out?

Lets think about that.

I have consulted with legal sources on this. If there is a written policy in the employee handbook that you must give a certain amount of notice then they are obligated to give the same amt of notice to you.

Yet, what happens in reality is if they deside to let you go, without demonstrating cause, such as downsizing, or some such, is they just let you go on the spot, no severence nothing.

I have seen managers and DONs told to leave by the end of the week when they gave thier 30 notice.

I undersand they do not want a disgruntled worker staying on another 30days to reek havoc. So if this is the case they need to change their policy.

If their policy is 2 wks or 30 days and they give you less than that (assuming they are not firing you for proovable cause) then I believe you have a case for severence pay in the amt equal to the required notice.

However, the cost of collecting such pay will likely be an even greater loss to you. Apparently they count on this and continue to maintaine a master slave relationship.

My experience and observations have been this. NO MATTER WHAT your reason for leaving. Diplomatically tell them it is something tottaly unrelated to them. Like, you want to try something new, your moving, you want to stay at home with grand kids, something that sheds NO negative light on them. With that you get consideration (usually). You are not hassled, you get to work until your notice expires, you remain rehirable.

Even when they KNOW that you have been having a problem with them, if you insist this is a conicidence that this other reason came up and that it is the only reason you are leaving and be friendly about it, they are put in a position where they must take you at your word. It works.

Now this might require you swallowing something you do not want to but if you can sucessfully play the game you win. Many times we don't want to play. Usually when that happens I just leave suddenly, with a plausable reason apart from the fact the employer is scum. I've done this a few times and in checking back later though various channels (including reapplying) they still considered me rehirable.

Not saying I've always done this. God only knows. But I have learned with my hard head that IF I play this way I win.

I've definately burned a few bridges in my time. You might think you would never reapply but consider this. Emloyers change, they change policy, management, ownership, and employees. They change outlook, etc. And you might be reapplying into a totally different dept. OR you might be applying to a diffrent facility that they own. This other facility might not be anyting like the old one. They might actually be human.

The problem with this world is there is so much corporate bying and selling and takeovers and such and so many facilities are already owned by large corporations or will be that we cannot afford to antagonize an employer when we leave.

Besides even without all this corporate stuff. Everyone moves from job to job today and you will meet some of these same people later.

It is interesting when you do as sometimes I find these are not the people I thought they were. Turns out sometimes they themselves were under the gun and they are really nice people and will even tell you that you got a raw deal once they are out of that ssetting themselves. Granted some folks are crappy to work for or with no matter what.

fab4fan · Nov 30, 2002

When it comes to resigning a job, there are a few basic "truths" that I have learned...sometimes the hard way:

1. Be absolutely specific as to when your last day will be e.g. "I will be resigning my position as ------------- on 23 December 2002 upon completing my scheduled shift from 1500-2330.

2. No matter how much you hate a job, don't burn your bridges. Never say never...life can take some pretty funny turns, and you could find yourself trying to plead your case for them to take you back.

3. Technically, an employer cannot withold accrued vacation pay/holiday pay if you don't give "required" notice...this is pay you've earned. This came straight from the mouth of an atty with the labor board in my state. However, keep point #2 in mind if you're tempted to just leave.

4. Try to find something good to say about your job in your resignation letter...it's all in the semantics. Saying it was a "learning experience" actually can sound like a compliment, but only you know what you really mean by that statement.

5. Give a copy of your resignation letter to your mgr., director of HR, DON...if you give a copy to several people, it makes it harder to pull the "I never got your letter" stunt.

Congrats!!

renerian, BSN, RN · Nov 30, 2002

Nope you are not obligated.

renerian