Do I Have to Give Two Weeks’ Notice?

When you decide to leave your position and move on to a new career opportunity, it is customary to give two weeks’ notice to your employer. While you may not have to explicitly give notice for a planned departure, or seasonal work or temporary work (since your employer knows you are leaving), you should stick to the protocol for all other positions.  

Although there is no law requiring you to give two weeks’ notice, following this business practice can help you to stay on good relations with your former employer and can help to ensure you remain eligible for benefits you may be entitled to.

Do I Really Have to Give Two Weeks’ Notice?

Even if not legally required to do so, three good reasons to give two weeks’ notice include the following:

• Your company handbook may mandate it. The company handbook may specify that you could lose out on vacation pay or planned bonuses you might have otherwise received if you leave without warning.
• You don’t want to burn your bridges. Leaving your company in the lurch by not giving notice is not going to make a very good impression. You could potentially need a reference from your former boss some day or could come across former co-workers in other professional situations. You don’t want to be known as the employee who walked out the door and left everyone in the lurch.
• It’s the right thing to do. Your employer has provided you with a place to work and a paycheck – you owe it to your employer to treat the company fairly. It is simply the right thing to do to give notice.  If you’re leaving for a new job, your new employer may also take notice of how you treat your old employer. So leaving without notice is just going to make you look bad in your new position.

Knowing all of the protocols for leaving your job can be a challenge, but doing things right helps you maintain good relations with former employers and can be essential to earning a recommendation. When you’ve given your notice and are ready to move on to your next opportunity, SmartTalent is here to provide invaluable assistance. To learn more about how our staffing service can assist job seekers in Kirkland, Fife, Renton, or surrounding areas, contact the experienced recruiting professionals at SmartTalent today!