Is Giving 2 Weeks Notice Ancient Practice?

Nurses General Nursing

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There are just some jobs that do not work out. If I've been at a job a decent amount of time and plan on including it on my resume, I give two weeks. A couple times in my career I walked into a frying pan, and left within the first week. Shat happens. No notice. A couple of other times I gave 2 weeks only to then be fired on the spot. One job was so miserable, I reported off to the supervisor, left mid shift, then wrote a scathing resignation effective immediatley. I have seen employers in and out of healthcare fire people during their 2 weeks notice, and am wondering if 2 weeks notice has gone out of style like the curly cord wall phone? Of course this all depends if you have a PTO balance that needs to be used or paid, or any other benes in the pot. I have heard that nurses giving 2 weeks are then terminated immediately, and this is becoming more the norm than the anomoly. I think that we can all agree, the 30 year career at one job, then retiring has all but vanished, and now its common game to have a dozen or more jobs, and 1, 2 or even 3 different careers. After 20 years in this field, I have also learned that an employer will never hesitate to abuse the heck out of nurses with unsafe staffing, so long as the nurse allows him or herself to be abused. Any thoughts?

It depends. If you live in a Right to Work state (at will), you are not required to give two weeks notice to an employer. Any employer. You also do no need to give them a reason and they can't hold it against you. If they try there is legal recourse. Verify what I've said with your labor board before taking any action.

Right To Work is a union busting tactic supported by nearly all major industry in an attempt to strip workers of any and all rights. This is at least one way of getting even. Take advantage of it and don't dwell on leaving them in a lurch. They'll be over you in about 3 days.

Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
It depends. If you live in a Right to Work state (at will), you are not required to give two weeks notice to an employer. Any employer. You also do no need to give them a reason and they can't hold it against you. If they try there is legal recourse. Verify what I've said with your labor board before taking any action.

Right To Work is a union busting tactic supported by nearly all major industry in an attempt to strip workers of any and all rights. This is at least one way of getting even. Take advantage of it and don't dwell on leaving them in a lurch. They'll be over you in about 3 days.

Point of order: "Right to work" =/= "At will"

Right to work: Workers have the right to employment without being required to be a member of the labor union. Twenty-four states are "right to work" states.

At will: The employee-employer relationship can be terminated at any time by either party (unless the employee termination falls under a 'protected class'). Every state except Montana is an "at will" state.

The Difference Between the Terms "At-Will" and "Right-to-Work" - Employment Law Handbook

Getting Your Terms Right: "Right to Work" -vs- "At-Will Employment" - Mesch Clark Rothschild

Specializes in Informatics / Trauma / Hospice / Immunology.

Two things happen when you leave: a need exists to fill your responsibilities and a record is updated at the business. Notice is a courtesy first to your customers/patients and secondly to your employer. It is not merely a custom of old times, but a practical courtesy. Honor it and there is respect. Dishonor it and burn bridges.

That is the problem with "at will" employment laws. I was fired from a job because I had a patient lodge 2 complaints against me. One because I wouldn't let him walk the halls barefoot, which was hospital policy and one because I wouldn't let him take off his heart monitor to take a shower without a doctors order again this was policy on the ICU-Step down unit.

They tried to block my unemployment saying I was fired with cause. Hearing administrator ruled I was following policy and therefore they had no cause and they were forced to "approve" my unemployment benefits. I found out later they hired a new grad to full my position. That left the most senior nurse on our shift as having less than 2 years experience in nursing.

Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

In my pre-nursing life, I worked at a place where people were routinely fired the day they gave notice. I'm not surprised it would happen in nursing.

Specializes in Ambulatory Care.
On 11/19/2018 at 7:59 AM, staple1027 said:

There are just some jobs that do not work out. If I've been at a job a decent amount of time and plan on including it on my resume, I give two weeks. A couple times in my career I walked into a frying pan, and left within the first week. Shat happens. No notice. A couple of other times I gave 2 weeks only to then be fired on the spot. One job was so miserable, I reported off to the supervisor, left mid shift, then wrote a scathing resignation effective immediatley. I have seen employers in and out of healthcare fire people during their 2 weeks notice, and am wondering if 2 weeks notice has gone out of style like the curly cord wall phone? Of course this all depends if you have a PTO balance that needs to be used or paid, or any other benes in the pot. I have heard that nurses giving 2 weeks are then terminated immediately, and this is becoming more the norm than the anomoly. I think that we can all agree, the 30 year career at one job, then retiring has all but vanished, and now its common game to have a dozen or more jobs, and 1, 2 or even 3 different careers. After 20 years in this field, I have also learned that an employer will never hesitate to abuse the heck out of nurses with unsafe staffing, so long as the nurse allows him or herself to be abused. Any thoughts?

Yeah, I agree that giving 2 weeks notice is generally a common courtesy and it is deserved if the employer provides a safe place to work with respect and follows all the rules and applicable laws. Like you said, stuff happens, no notice. Sometimes employer just doesn't deserve that courtesy. Other times, it may hurt the employee to give their notice. In my case, one company I worked for was continuously breaking the state wage act by withholding payroll by much longer time than is legally allowed. All the employees were kept in the dark about the future of the practice, and I personally feared I would come to work one day with the door locked and the sign taken down, with no pay. There was little respect in the workplace toward nurses, the morale of the practice was in the toilet. I also had a personal issue going on where I thought I would have to relocate urgently. I provided written notice effective immediately and did an exit interview with the manager. Staying for the sake of taking care of patients is being a martyr, and it can hurt you if you are in an unsafe situation. You have to take care of yourself. If the employer upholds their end of the deal throughout, safest bet is to leave on good terms by providing 2 weeks. Getting fired or treated unfairly during that notice period is a valid concern too. It's a decision that one needs to make considering the culture of their workplace.

Specializes in PACU, Stepdown, Trauma.

My hospital requires at least 2 weeks notice or you will be listed as a "Do-No-Rehire." If you want to have your PTO paid out, you need to give 30 days notice.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
On 11/19/2018 at 7:49 AM, klone said:

I have never personally seen a situation where a nurse gave 2 weeks' notice and then was immediately fired. The only time I would terminate the 2 weeks early is if the nurse were on orientation, then it just doesn't make sense for her to continue to orient to a position she is not keeping. I certainly expect every person quitting to give 2 weeks' notice. 4 is even better, but I won't hold anyone to that.

The last three hospitals where I worked required four weeks notice -- it's clearly stated in the employee handbook. I never fail to be surprised at how many nurses are INCENSED because they're told that two weeks isn't enough notice.

I have seen people terminated during the two weeks notice -- anyone who is on orientation, and a couple of folks were terminated for cause. One kicked the screen out of the Pyxis machine and another brought a handgun on campus.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
On 11/20/2018 at 11:52 AM, Neats said:

I get 2 weeks notice usually. Most of the time I can see patterns emerge when a nurse is ready to put their notice in...

Giving 2 weeks notice is nice however if I think the person who will be leaving is toxic to others I just let them know they can leave now. I use to do that often in the beginning of my career, after time I think staff respected me enough to really give me the 2 weeks notice. I appreciate that.

I have walked Administrators, Doctors off the property as well and when I left my first insurance job putting in 4 weeks notice that very same day I was walked out of the building. I am also a rehire to that place as well. It is their policy to walk people out that are going to a competitor, they paid me for the 4 weeks too.

Nowadays you get to give your exit interview. I am not really sure how much those help, that information always went to corporate. I think I would lean towards corporate and graduate, no burning bridges.

We sometimes see patterns emerge -- attendance issues, usually. But our nurse manager is well respected and most people share their plans with her well ahead of the four weeks required notice. We have enormous turnover due to people leaving for anesthesia school, and our manager is in the loop from the time they start applying, so the notice isn't a surprise.

Rarely, a long term employee gives a surprise notice . . . when someone's spouse is suddenly transferred, for example, or the new mother who decides not to return from maternity leave.

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