two weeks notice
two weeks notice
(OP)
I am a young engineer. Right out of college I went to work for a manufacturer that I worked for part time throughout college. In the beginning I loved it there was alot of design work to do and I got to run the machine shop side of the bussiness. Recently I have interviewed with a couple of con sulting firms and feel fairly confident I will get an offer from one. I have worked for this small family owned company for almost eight years and want to leave on good terms. I have not yet informed them that I am looking. How much notice do I need to give them and should I tell them I am looking before actually getting another job?
Thanks
Thanks





RE: two weeks notice
I wouldn't tell them I was looking unless I thought they would (and could) convince me to stay. I'd wait until I had an offer, and then give notice and move.
RE: two weeks notice
Family-owned firms can be strange animals (speaking as a stakeholder in one such venture). They are more likely to take it personally that you are leaving. I would not tell them until you have accepted an offer.
Above all else, maintain your professional conduct. Keep your game face on.
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RE: two weeks notice
Chris
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RE: two weeks notice
Tough question of which I have mixed feelings about:
1)When I first finished community college I got a job as a draftsperson but decided I wanted more and applied to university. As soon as I was accepted I told my employer that I was going back to school in the fall , thinking it was fair to give as much notice as possible (3 months). Two weeks later the engineering manager called me to his office , told me they had found a replacement and it would be best if I resigned. I stood my ground and explained I needed the income for school and finished working the summer and actually came back for a couple of summer work terms. In this case it turned out OK, but my employer could have insisted I leave and left me in a rough spot.
2)After I went into business for myself one of my former colleagues from my last employer joined me as an employee. After a year he informed me that our previous employer had contacted him about returning. He kept me informed of his discussions and when he decided to accept a position (with our former employer)he worked with me in establishing a suitable time for the change. Being a small business I really appreciated his openess and maintain a good relationship with him.
I think it really comes down to your relationship with your employer but you need to be carefull as you can get burned.
M1 Engineering
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RE: two weeks notice
Good luck.
HVAC68
RE: two weeks notice
I gave four weeks notice (required by my contract), which seems about right to finish up short term work, and prepare the long-term stuff for hand-over to someone else. I am finding it hard to stay motivated, so it will be a bit of a challenge to stay professional for the last few weeks.
RE: two weeks notice
Definitely, get the job in hand (preferably in writing). Word of caution, even though you plan on giving adequate notice, be prepared for "thank you for your notice, your services are not required any longer".
RE: two weeks notice
It also allows the employer to stipulate how long they think it would realistically take to get in a suitable replacement by your length of notice.
This length of time seems to be increasing, for example despite not holding a senior managerial role I am on 4 months notice, which is sometimes longer than a possible employer would want to wait, however on the plus side it means that if they want me to leave I have time to look around or if they ask me to leave there and then I walk away with a four month pay cheque.
This does not apply if you are fired for gross misconduct and most companies allow the notice to change through mutual consent.
Are these terms not stated in your contracts in the USA?
RE: two weeks notice
The only delta is that there was a law passed in the 90's that required employers to given 60day notice for plant closings. Since many companies are adverse to lawsuits, they've applied that rule to smaller layoffs. But individual ones are still at whatever is customary at that company. In some cases, you're only given enough time to remove personal belongings. This is to prevent any mischief from the disgruntled employee.
TTFN
RE: two weeks notice
RE: two weeks notice
RE: two weeks notice
corus
RE: two weeks notice
I agree with Maury's comment about two weeks notice. Company may request you to stay longer and how long would be at your discretion.
It all depends on the company policy. Like many suggested, leave on good terms and never burn any bridges. You may need someone from your current work to verify the employment when you apply for the license.
Best of luck.
RE: two weeks notice
I have also worked in a family run business and from my experience TheTick is right on target with the statement that they are likely to take it a bit more personally. You may be able to ease the situation if you can help them find a suitable replacement for your position. For a small employer, it is a considerable expense to find and hire people.
Good luck and regards,
RE: two weeks notice
RE: two weeks notice
At a previous employer I worked right up to the last minute of the last day on a commissioning job, and then stayed back for an hour or two with my newly ex-colleagues until the job was done. I still have a lot of friends at that site and they would love to have me back, although I don't really ever see it happening. Personally I think it's much better to go out on a high - that way the top brass see what a great employee they let go.
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If we learn from our mistakes,
I'm getting a great education!
RE: two weeks notice
I assume the three months works both ways? If so and they want you leave early you would get paid, so it would be a chance to catch up with the garden, play some sport, spend some time with the kids, travel a little or any one of the thousand things that you never seem to get enough time to do when at work. Or is that just me?
RE: two weeks notice
We must be in similar jobs. It would be ironic if I end up having some time to myself because the company pays me off early. The lack of such time is one of the reasons I'm looking at alternative ways of paying the mortgage!
I totally agree about not agreeing to start ahead of the three months, but taking the chance if it arises.
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If we learn from our mistakes,
I'm getting a great education!