Sure, it's courteous to give your employer two weeks notice that you're leaving, but what about when the tables are turned? It's not like there's a company out there handing out notices for employees that 'just aren't working out'. If there are, they are few and very far between. Now, I'm not talking about unfortunate lay-offs with severance packages and all that, I'm talking about the run-of-the-mill, orange cheeto-man style 'You're Fired!' Well, it's more like, "Oh, sorry, it's not working out, we're going to have to let you go." Anywho, let's get into this a bit more and see if we can change the way things work.
You've likely seen this video across social media, whether it's a person or cartoon reenactment it's a message that hits hard for many as it is the reality the majority faces. I'm not sure how to give proper credit on here for the original creator, Veronika, but here's the link to her TikTok.
Who hasn’t heard of or maybe even experienced the horror going in to work all week just to be fired or 'let go' at the end of the day on Friday. No type of notice or head's up even, just 'POOF' bye-bye. You've probably even heard of someone that went in with all good intentions to give two weeks notice, just to be told, they can depart immediately. Umm, that didn't pan out the way they thought either huh.
Well here's my attempt at pulling back the curtain and hopefullly shedding light on a new perspective - Employers, give employees two weeks notice, it won't be all bad, and may actually work to your benefit.
We're both 'At Will'
Whether you're reading or writing an offer letter, you should notice most include an "at will" employment clause. That's not a coincidence, it's by design. Unfortunately, it's part of the overall design we don't always look at too closely. I actually call them entrapment clauses because without agreeing to them, guess what, no job!
In short, this is just saying that either employer or EMPLOYEE can terminate employment at any time for any reason that is not deemed illegal. We don't think of this on the front end, and why would you want to think about leaving a job you just got? I point this out first because we should remove the thought that it's so wrong to leave anywhere you're no longer happy or just don't want to be. That's a general life lesson, so we should be applying it to your professional life as well.
The Anti-PIP
If you've been in corporate America long enough you know what a PIP is; Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). It's a dreaded acronym on both sides but for different reasons.
On the employee side, it's technically a write-up;
On the employer side, it's paperwork and follow-up and ... ugh, not fun
Most HR professionals will debate this, but let's call it what it is, it's a documented outline of areas needing improvement within a marked timeframe. If improvement isn't noted, bye-bye. Key point is, usually after a PIP you may not be eligible for unemployment benefits or other recourse because, well, they document your 'poor performance'.
So why am I calling this the 'Anti-PIP'? Well, it's not like you're writing up your boss when you are getting ready to leave. Maybe you are mentally but that doesn't really count. One of three things usually happens with a PIP:
The employee rises to the occasion and improves their performance; or
The employee does a 180 and gets back on track; or
The employee resigns soon thereafter
A mutual agreement to provide each other notice could eliminate a long drawn-out process to an end game. If the employee is someone you want to continue to invest in and have grow with your organization, why not save yourself some paperwork and just have an open honest conversation? Actually, this is what usually happens organically anyway so not much changing. The biggest difference is transparency early on, and removal of shock value of either a PIP or being suddenly fired.
Be Popular
It's not a shocker that people AND companies want to be liked. So that's another aspect to consider, being known as a fair and communicative employer. What 'bad press' could you get from giving your employees clear and specific feedback and notice of intent to 'break-up' with them? Wouldn't giving an employee two weeks notice be similar to a PIP in that you establish a documented failure to perform and in turn may be awarded the same recourse that made you opt for the PIP in the first place?
The thought that no good can come from doing something different is borderline insane. Change can be good, often making way for something better. So what's the worst that could happen? You could end up more successful then ever because employees put more effort and energy when they feel their time is valued and respected. Open and honest conversations on expectations and performance should not be once a year. We shouldn't be so passive-aggressive with cryptic emails to build a case against an employee/employer.
Have the the conversation and agree things should end, it may sting a little but knowing where the cards lay is better than walking on eggshells all the time. It's a Catch-22, employees don't want to get fired, and employers don't want people to sporadically quit without notice. If you make communication the standard instead of the exception you're likely to come out on top.
It's in the details
So what's the point? We've heard the term 'Quiet Quitting'; where an employee does the job asked, nothing more. They are usually actively looking for other employment, so they are basically just doing what's expected as a minimum to avoid being fired or otherwise reprimanded. Well, the new one is 'Quiet Firing'; it's where employers are just going on business as usual, no incentives, or appreciation for the effort being put in, with the goal that you’ll ’remove yourself’ from the situation. This is so they don’t have to cover any unemployment claims or feel guilty, assuming they are decent, and leave it as you left as opposed to them letting you go.
Ultimately, I think it’s time we start setting standards and establish dual accountability. Shift the culture and guide them on how we, as employees, deserve to be treated. Let’s start pushing for them to be just as professional and courteous to us. I’m not saying my thought process is fail-proof, however, I do believe it’s logical enough that employers should give it some serious thought. Think of it more like a seed that I’m planting that could someday grow into reality.
Disclaimer: This is my take on a process, just a sharing of my thoughts on the subject. Please talk to a more serious professional before making moves like Jagger.
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