Yes, I know you are fed up with your workplace. You are tired and can’t take it anymore. Your mood changes for the worst when you step foot in the door and you can’t stand the sight of your co-workers or boss, but I encourage you to wait!
DO NOT leave without giving a proper notice of resignation that includes a two week time frame.
Now I know you are thinking, “easy for you to say” or “why should I give any more of my precious time to this place?” Well I invite you to sit back, take a deep breath, count to ten and read on. There are many reasons you shouldn’t abruptly leave a job, so allow me to share my point of view with you in hopes that you will make the right choice.
Reason 1:
People talk! Oh yes, your boss talks to people in the industry and his or her boss talks to people in the industry also. You will be surprised who your co-workers and managers know that may be in your circle as well. The last thing you need is to be blacklisted by word of mouth.
Reason 2:
Your reputation is on the line. I always tell my friends and colleagues that people remember what you do more than what you say. You could have given your entire life to a company but if you leave without notice none of that will be remembered. What resonates with people is the impression you leave behind. Leaving abruptly leaves a bad taste in the mouth of your manager and your co-workers.
Reason 3:
Your co-workers will participate in the negative gossip about your departure. Why? Well they are the ones that have to now work late or work through lunch and pick up where you left off. Also, if they mess something up in the process, they have to have someone to blame! When you leave suddenly, no matter how great you were while you worked there, everything that is left hanging or any future errors that were your responsibility are all blamed on you. It’s easy to blame someone who can’t be there to defend themselves. This leads to more negative memories that hurt your reputation.
Reason 4:
You don’t know what your future holds. Yes, that’s right, you may actually need to go back to that place one day if you fall on hard times and your new job that looks so great right now is in reality 10 times worse than what you left. Let’s face it, unless you are a multi-millionaire that doesn’t need to work anymore then you can’t afford to burn your bridges with any employer.
Reason 5:
NEVER make a life changing decision while you are angry. This advice goes towards all facets of your life. Chances are that once you have made a rash emotional decision you will look back on it and find that you could have handled the situation better and avoided the bitter aftermath if you had taken a moment to think things through rationally.
Reason 6:
You want to show your new employer that you are a loyal and respectful employee. You know the saying, “the best way to know the future is to look at the past”. Well, the same thing goes for your career. Your new boss would likely respect your decision to give a two-week notice to your current employer. If they don’t then that may be a great opportunity for you to re-evaluate your transition.
If you think you are hurting the company by leaving, then you’re wrong. Now granted, they may have to do some damage control and explain to clients/customers/co-workers why you left and overwork a few people in the midst, but they will survive without you. You are only hurting yourself if you fail to give proper notice.
Unless there is a life threatening or ethical reason for you to immediately leave then I encourage you to try and stick it out for another two weeks.
Mary V. Davids is Principal Consultant at D&M Consulting Services, LLC. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management. Mary has over a decade of experience in cultivating employee engagement, enhancing employee motivation and workplace performance, leadership coaching and training & development. She also serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors for the South Florida Chapter of the National Association of African American’s in Human Resources. Book Mary to speak at your next event or hire Mary for leadership & professional development consultation today. Follow Mary on twitter @MVDavids.