Help! Is less than 2 weeks notice okay?

[DrewBlows]

Looking for some opinions/ advice/ horror stories.

A friend of mine (not me, really) is getting screwed by the company (long story, not appropriate for public message forum), and is pondering quiting with less than two weeks notice. I think he should stick it out and stay for two weeks, but he is bound and determined that the situation is so bad that it warrents immediate resignation.

So the question is, will this come back to bite him in the future or does it not really matter? I know that the aviation community is a very small one and my policy is to never burn bridges. Are there any HR types who could weigh in, someone with first hand experience? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[Biatch5]

I left prior to my 2 weeks notice b/c the Chief Pilot was an A$$ and I basically could not tolerate him anymore... HOWEVER I was in good with the owner of the flight school and he was cool!


he didnt care if I didnt finish out my 2 weeks

told the chief pilot to F Off and when I put my old flight school on my resume, I tell them to go directly to the owner

It felt great to tell off that prick!

Good Luck

 

[mamba20]

If he wants to use them as a reference he should give 2 weeks notice. He's stuck it out this long.

 

[wahoo250]

two weeks notice...then call in sick

 

[Clyde]

Looking for some opinions/ advice/ horror stories.

A friend of mine (not me, really) is getting screwed by the company (long story, not appropriate for public message forum), and is pondering quiting with less than two weeks notice. I think he should stick it out and stay for two weeks, but he is bound and determined that the situation is so bad that it warrents immediate resignation.

So the question is, will this come back to bite him in the future or does it not really matter? I know that the aviation community is a very small one and my policy is to never burn bridges. Are there any HR types who could weigh in, someone with first hand experience? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

If personal safety and/or possible violations are a major concern by staying with them, than I would leave prior to 2 weeks.

If able, give notice and use up accrued vacation and sick time.

If his boss is a real jerk, than I would give my 2 weeks notice and just suck it up.

Now, to the best of knowledge (so don't quote me), I am fairly certain that a previous employer cannot say anything negative about a past employee. Records can be sent and they are allowed to answer yes or no if the next potential employer asks if they would ever hire this person back. Beyond that I don't believe they can say anything else to include leaving prior to giving 2 weeks notice. There are a lot of legality risks involved.

 

[bailout]

Do companies give you two weeks notice when they fire you?? Dont think so,....... leave now.

 

[JD2003]

18K a year doesn't exactly buy two weeks notice...just my .02

 

[Wankel7]

Look at like this....

If he is leaving for another job....I would say give that two weeks notice...

Maybe things are bad now....and he wants to leave. But what if the new job dosent work out?

He might come back looking to fly. And if he burned that bridge...that is a no go.

So what is worse? Working for a S%#@$3 company....or being on the street with no work?

Working is working.....

 

[Weasel Keeper]

Now, to the best of knowledge (so don't quote me), I am fairly certain that a previous employer cannot say anything negative about a past employee. Records can be sent and they are allowed to answer yes or no if the next potential employer asks if they would ever hire this person back. Beyond that I don't believe they can say anything else to include leaving prior to giving 2 weeks notice. There are a lot of legality risks involved.

Previous employers are not legally bound to say anything other than you worked from this date to this, etc...

However, the community is small as stated in a prior post. I don't know about the aircrew side so much, but I know for a fact in the MX side...people know people. If you get a dirty name in the field it most likely will follow you.

For instance on the MX side...Joe Numbnutmechanic worked for me at ABC Airlines and just up and quit. In this day and age people don't stay with one company for more than a few years. My #3 mechanic left and went to work for DEF Airlines on good terms and old Joe Numbnutmechanic decides to apply there. My old #3 guy remembers Joe and informs the DOM what a waste this guy was at ABC Airlines...

Don't burn bridges...networking rules.

 

[Biatch5]

Look at like this....

If he is leaving for another job....I would say give that two weeks notice...

Maybe things are bad now....and he wants to leave. But what if the new job dosent work out?

He might come back looking to fly. And if he burned that bridge...that is a no go.

So what is worse? Working for a S%#@$3 company....or being on the street with no work?

Working is working.....

Screw that man! I would never go back to my old CFI job if I was looking for work. No way I would put up with that P.O.S. again. Why do that to yourself??

Go work at any other job till I could find another aviation job

 

[jarhead]

If personal safety and/or possible violations are a major concern by staying with them, than I would leave prior to 2 weeks.

If able, give notice and use up accrued vacation and sick time.

If his boss is a real jerk, than I would give my 2 weeks notice and just suck it up.

Now, to the best of knowledge (so don't quote me), I am fairly certain that a previous employer cannot say anything negative about a past employee. Records can be sent and they are allowed to answer yes or no if the next potential employer asks if they would ever hire this person back. Beyond that I don't believe they can say anything else to include leaving prior to giving 2 weeks notice. There are a lot of legality risks involved.

I'm pretty much on the same page as Clyde on this topic.

One other comment to perhaps muddy up the water. Do you think the employer would give him two weeks notice if he was being fired, or would he just say "hit the bricks" and go file for unemployment compensation?

The company I retired from had a policy in HR (The HR director was and still is a friend of mine). Whenever a prospective employer for a departed employee called for references, the only information they would ever give out, were the ex employee's dates of service with the company, and the positions held while there. Never would any information about the employees work performance, attendance records, or any other information that could trigger a law suit due to a "bad" referral be given out. Kind of just name, rank and serial number stuff. There is really no "up side" for the past employer to give out information that has a negative tone.

 

[IHaveAPension]

If personal safety and/or possible violations are a major concern by staying with them, than I would leave prior to 2 weeks.

If able, give notice and use up accrued vacation and sick time.

If his boss is a real jerk, than I would give my 2 weeks notice and just suck it up.

Now, to the best of knowledge (so don't quote me), I am fairly certain that a previous employer cannot say anything negative about a past employee. Records can be sent and they are allowed to answer yes or no if the next potential employer asks if they would ever hire this person back. Beyond that I don't believe they can say anything else to include leaving prior to giving 2 weeks notice. There are a lot of legality risks involved.

Monkeyboy, I heard from Weaver that you were so pissed at Ameristar that you just up and quit while on a trip to Huevo Nachos, Mexico and left Ameristar high and dry.

 

[English]

A question that is almost always asked is whether the employee is eligible for rehire. Many companies have a policy that you must give two weeks' notice to be eligible for rehire. So, be prepared to hear that your past employer stated you were not eligible for rehire.

HR people can read between the lines. If you aren't eligible for rehire, it's a red flag.

 

[Heavy Set]

two weeks notice...then call in sick

I agree with this approach. You can always call in sick. Stick with at least two weeks - maintain some level of professionalism even if others can't...

 

[DrewBlows]

Thanks for the replies guys. I don't want to give away too much of a personal issue, but safety is not an issue and my friend is looking to go from one 121 operator to another. I guess my real question is how much "off the record" information is really shared between companies? This is a small industry (I know someone who works at nearly every regional airline) it seems to me that if I were looking at an application and I knew someone at his previous employer I would probably call to find out what kind of guy he was (off the record of course). Is this going to hurt him?