Do Employees Still Need to Give A Two-Week Notice?

Matt Lewers: Hi, and welcome to the Blueprint Round Table. I’m your host, Matt Lewers, joined by Krissy Manzano. Happy birthday, by the way, and Chuck Brotman. The Blueprint Roundtable is an ongoing series with our team and occasional guest, and in each session we ask the team a simple question related to trends in recruiting, talent, and go to market for discussion and debate. This week’s question, and Krissy we’ll start with you, do you still need to give a two weeks notice?

Krissy Manzano: Well, first up I wanna say that’s the nicest intro you’ve ever given me. So definitely I’m glad this is recorded. But to answer your question, yes I do. So I know that this is something that’s really popular. I think we saw it on TikTok and from some big, you know, radio shows and whatnot, and they’re like, there’s this trend where candidates supposedly are not giving a two week notice because companies don’t give them a two week notice when they fire them or let them go.

Krissy Manzano: And so I think taking a step backwards, do I think it is okay how corporate America often treats their employees, right. When it comes to how they make decisions to let people go or lay them off, even right now? No, I don’t. I don’t think they handle that well. I think they’re very, You know that how they do that, which I know is not the question, but you’ll see my point.

Krissy Manzano: Do I think that makes it okay or right for an employer to employee to handle themselves with the same way? No. I think if, look, at the end of the day, look long term, look short-term, you were, if you quit that day and leave, you’re burning a bridge. And it doesn’t, even with people that you. People that you’re friends with at work, they, even if there’s nothing wrong with what’s going on with them, like maybe you have an issue with your manager or the company as a whole, they are gonna go, “I’m not referring that person.”

Krissy Manzano: Right? And I hate that you went through that at our company. Maybe the company’s the worst company in the world, right? But when you do that, you lose a lot of credibility with people and it doesn’t serve you at the end of the day. If you’re trying to do stuff that serves you and it’s best for you, then you know that is not helping you.

Krissy Manzano: And I think it’s the right thing to do in business. Right? To have that smooth sail off. I mean, I worked at, there’s only been one company I worked at that was awful and I still gave a two week notice. Right. Because I was like, I’m still gonna be professional at the end of the day. Because it doesn’t serve me to, you know, be petty and do a gotcha.

Krissy Manzano: Right. But anyways, that’s my long-winded view of the answer is yes. You should still give it.

Chuck Brotman: I don’t have too much to add. I think we’re in full agreement here. I think at a certain level, I mean, you’re spot on. It’s not gonna do you the good you might think and oftentimes decisions like that are based on emotion or an inability to manage timelines associated with a new opportunity.

Chuck Brotman: So as an example, if you feel the need to potentially give less than two weeks notice because another company that you’re talking to wants you to start ASAP, instead of focusing on, you know, sort of giving no notice. What you should be doing is using the other company’s urgency to get them to move faster witht a good offer so that you can stay respectful of your other company in giving two weeks and accelerate the timeline as needed.

Chuck Brotman: So it’s, you know, I’m sure there are some scenarios where this might be helpful, but as you said it’s gonna often burn bridges. You know, when I learned doing good. I was told two wrongs don’t make a right. So, you know, the idea that, you know, companies, you know, doing things and, you know, terminating employment without giving, you know, even like two week’s severance, like that’s not an ideal behavior.

Chuck Brotman: They’re likely burning bridges for themselves to potentially bring you back. But if they’re taking those courses of action, I don’t see any benefit to an employee to emulate that. And as you said, this is not about, you know, kind of ethics for its own sake. I mean, a fundamental level. You know, in almost any scenario I can think of, you’re not gonna hurt yourself by doing that.

Chuck Brotman: And if you do, right, if you give two weeks and then that company terminates you immediately, doesn’t pay you. And you can always go back to the company that you’re joining and see if they can move forward your start date. And if they can’t, well you have some, you know, some unplanned vacation to enjoy time, not working.

Krissy Manzano: Yeah,

Chuck Brotman: it’s as simple as that. Right?

Krissy Manzano: Go ahead Matt.

Matt Lewers: I was just gonna say, I think, you know, sometimes topics like this go viral because it’s unique and it’s new and it is, you know, hit corporate America. Especially with all the layoffs, like with everything we’re seeing in Google today. I feel that the majority of our listeners are probably at a stage of their career or within an industry in their career where it’s just, it’s not as acceptable as it is if you are in, you know, verticals outside of tech, right?

Matt Lewers: You don’t really see a zero day notice in tech. And if you do, it’s typically somebody, this is their first or second job and they’ve got pressure to start another job, or they’re very mad at their direct manager. I’ve seen that a couple times, but you know, for the most part, I would say 99% of the people I’ve spoken to in the last two and a half years doing this, would not be comfortable giving a zero day notice.

Matt Lewers: And it, it’s just not something that I see frequently.

Chuck Brotman: Right. Yeah. Look, if you want to call out corporate America and challenge hiring and firing practices that are unethical. You know, we talk about that a lot here. We, I think one of our first roundtables discussed the the, you know, issues with back channeling and candidates, which at least I think all of us were on record is saying is unethical and it’s still a very common practice, right?

Chuck Brotman: So I’m not saying, you know, candidates need, none of us are saying candidates need to simply, you know, accommodate companies because they have power in the market today. But you know, it’s really about sort of, you know, trying to be consistent in your own behaviors. And really thinking through like how you can leverage scenarios like this to get what you need versus setting yourself back.

Krissy Manzano: Right?

Krissy Manzano: Well, no, I think those are all great points and what I actually find a lot of people struggle with is not, do I give a two week notice, unless it’s to the point of like, they’re gonna fire me today. Which, if that’s the case, that’s possible, plan that out, right? Like normally if you’re thinking about that, you have time to plan that out.

Krissy Manzano: I don’t know your financial situation, but I would bet there’s a way to make that work until, or, you know, talk to the company that is giving you the offer and say, “Hey, there’s a chance they let me go today. If that’s the case, you know, can I start working on this date?” Like have that backup plan.

Krissy Manzano: That’s just, that should be a very easy thing unless there’s something where they have a new hire class specific. But you should be able to work around that. But I see sometimes other people go, if I leave in two weeks, the company’s screwed because of my role. That’s where I would say, that’s not your problem, right? Like, do I think now granted, if you’re like, I wanna keep this like such a solid relat, like I’ve done, two out of the three companies I’ve worked at, you know, one, I gave a 90-day like notice essentially, right? And the other one I was six weeks. And that was important for me and that was the right decision for me at the time.

Krissy Manzano: And I would absolutely do that again because I cared about that company. I was leaving on great terms, and I wanted to do it that way, and it worked with my plan, right? But I wouldn’t do that if I was going to an awesome company. And I was just doing that because I felt like they would get mad if I didn’t give more than two weeks.

Krissy Manzano: Like that’s where I would say that’s a company’s problem, not yours. Right. Two weeks is acceptable, but it should be done. If you wanna do a little bit more and it doesn’t and it works to your benefit and doesn’t mess up your plans, do that. But it’s not necessary unless there’s a specific. Reason for me, there was some specific reason.

Chuck Brotman: You know, one thing I was just thinking about too is again, assuming that the reason for wanting to not give notice is because your new company wants you in seat faster. At a fundamental level, like there, there’s something off with that company.

Krissy Manzano: Yes.

Chuck Brotman: Right? Either they’re not thoughtfully planning their onboarding classes or they can’t adhere to timelines that would allow for the time you need to give notice, right?

Chuck Brotman: So, or they’re just, they’re all over the place. Right? So again, I know there are edge cases. That there may be scenarios we’re not thinking about. There probably are, right? But for the most part, it’s usually easily managed. And it’s one reason why, one of the things I’ve seen consistently in the last, you know, 20 years of my career as you know, as an IC and a hiring management recruiter is the best candidates have a knack for lining up multiple offer opportunities.

Chuck Brotman: And then making a decision that you know, treats everybody professionally and then and then they go forward.

Matt Lewers: Really good point.

Krissy Manzano: For sure.

Matt Lewers: Awesome. Well, right at nine and a half minutes, I think we’re there. Appreciate both of your insights and I look forward to the next roundtable.

Chuck Brotman: Sounds good. Bye everyone.

Krissy Manzano: Bye.