Poll of the Day > Can you be fired for putting in your 2 weeks?

(+) Yeah! (+)

A friend of mine where I work is going to leave his job soon. And he wants to put in his 2 week notice very soon. But he's been really worried about it. I think one of the reasons is because he's worried about be fired as soon as he tells them about his leaving the company soon. But there are rules against that sort of stuff in certain places, right? Idk for sure, though...

I don't think they'd fired him right away, anyway. Because in my area, there are only 2 of us when we need 4. And in his area(which works with ours, but is a different area), they have the normal number of people needed. But they are down one because one of them took like the next month off and won't be back in like mid August...
---

Giving two weeks notice is handing in your resignation while offering two weeks more work if they need it. They can ask him not to work those two weeks but they can't not pay him.
---

So, he should still be safe after handing in his 2 weeks? He recently bought a house. And he got another job that will help him more when it comes to paying the bills. And lots of other reasons. He said he was going to start there after he finished his last 2 weeks here.

I figured that the place he's going to, based of what he's said about them, might even take him in early if something happened here. But Idk for sure. I just wanted to know how it would work. As long as he would still get paid, that's good...
---

Yes. Most employment is "at will" meaning you can be fired at any time for any reason, baring a few obvious exceptions like race or disability.
---

Yes. He should be prepared for that scenario.
---

Zangulus posted...

If youre fired, its almost impossible to not get unemployment.

I figured this. But it takes a while to get it normally, doesn't it? I mean, by that time, he would have already started his new job if they do fire him. Though, I don't think they will. For many reasons. One reason being that if they fire him when he fives his two weeks in, people will stop giving them their 2 weeks notice... Either way, he should be fine. I think he has enough that he will be ok, even without a full 2 weeks pay. Especially since he'll still get some money from out paychecks for the time he's working now...
---

It's possible that they can refuse his offer of two weeks. It wouldn't be firing him since he is putting in his notice of resignation.

Most companies will accept the two weeks. If he is a good employee they could even offer him more money/better benifits if he stays.

If he's that worried about missing two weeks pay he should just ride it out until his start date and quit without notice.
---

Zangulus posted...

LinkPizza posted...

Zangulus posted...

If youre fired, its almost impossible to not get unemployment.

I figured this. But it takes a while to get it normally, doesn't it? I mean, by that time, he would have already started his new job if they do fire him. Though, I don't think they will. For many reasons. One reason being that if they fire him when he fives his two weeks in, people will stop giving them their 2 weeks notice... Either way, he should be fine. I think he has enough that he will be ok, even without a full 2 weeks pay. Especially since he'll still get some money from out paychecks for the time he's working now...

It usually takes several weeks. And generally theres a week wait time before benefits begin.

But it does mean that the company will have to go through the paperwork and all the other hassle of it if he does apply.

This may seem like a weird question, but would he get like back pay for however long he was unemployed for if he got fired?

SmokeMassTree posted...

It's possible that they can refuse his offer of two weeks. It wouldn't be firing him since he is putting in his notice of resignation.

Most companies will accept the two weeks. If he is a good employee they could even offer him more money/better benifits if he stays.

If he's that worried about missing two weeks pay he should just ride it out until his start date and quit without notice.

I think he's trying to avoid just quitting. As a courtesy. I don't think I understand refusing a 2 week notice. Either way, he'll be leaving. It's basically letting them know. So they can be ready or whatever.
---

Zangulus posted...

LinkPizza posted...

Zangulus posted...

LinkPizza posted...

Zangulus posted...

If youre fired, its almost impossible to not get unemployment.

I figured this. But it takes a while to get it normally, doesn't it? I mean, by that time, he would have already started his new job if they do fire him. Though, I don't think they will. For many reasons. One reason being that if they fire him when he fives his two weeks in, people will stop giving them their 2 weeks notice... Either way, he should be fine. I think he has enough that he will be ok, even without a full 2 weeks pay. Especially since he'll still get some money from out paychecks for the time he's working now...

It usually takes several weeks. And generally theres a week wait time before benefits begin.

But it does mean that the company will have to go through the paperwork and all the other hassle of it if he does apply.

This may seem like a weird question, but would he get like back pay for however long he was unemployed for if he got fired?

Yes. Your unemployment pay begins after the wait time from the time of leaving the company.

Most states its 1 to 2 weeks. After that he gets paid even if it takes several months to be approved. (Which happened to me once. I got 9 weeks of pay in a lump sum.)

Oh. Well, then that's good. It should be fine then. I know when I had some time between jobs, I should have put in for unemployment, but I didn't...
---

He should probably be prepared in case it happens, but I wouldnt think it should be expected. Giving the 2 weeks notice is a courtesy to the employer so they can find someone to fill your vacancy and is the professional way to leave a job without burning bridges.
---

The Popo posted...

He should probably be prepared in case it happens, but I wouldnt think it should be expected. Giving the 2 weeks notice is a courtesy to the employer so they can find someone to fill your vacancy and is the professional way to leave a job without burning bridges.

I think he was doing it to be nice. But, I don't think he'd be able to come back, anyway. Well, maybe not. Out supervisor doesn't like to re-hire people who left. But that's mostly our section. The rest of the sections are usually ok with it. Either way, this info helped.

Thanks, everyone!
---

Zangulus posted...

LinkPizza posted...

The Popo posted...

He should probably be prepared in case it happens, but I wouldnt think it should be expected. Giving the 2 weeks notice is a courtesy to the employer so they can find someone to fill your vacancy and is the professional way to leave a job without burning bridges.

I think he was doing it to be nice. But, I don't think he'd be able to come back, anyway. Well, maybe not. Out supervisor doesn't like to re-hire people who left. But that's mostly our section. The rest of the sections are usually ok with it. Either way, this info helped.

Thanks, everyone!

HR people talk to each other. So even if he cant go back to that company, theres a good chance other companies find out about a no notice walk out.

I just meant our company will sometimes allow people to come back, but not our supervisor... normally... He is giving notice, though.
---

Just quit before then. 2 weeks is only a courtesy, it's not a law or rule.
---

EvilMegas posted...

Just quit before then. 2 weeks is only a courtesy, it's not a law or rule.

It's not me. It's a co-worker. He's trying to help out since we are pretty short on people. But he hasn't put it in yet.
---

If it is a big company (and a smart one) they won't fire them for giving 2 weeks notice. In fact it is usually pretty hard to get fired at a bigger company and takes a while. The only way you are getting fired on the spot is usually if you do something illegal like attack a co-worker or get caught stealing some shit. Otherwise you will usually see it coming from a mile away as they would prefer you quit instead (since then they don't have to pay any severance).
---

It'd be a dick move, and it probably won't happen, but it is definitely possible and most likely legal given the "at will" employment stuff.
---

Someone at my last job got fired right when they put in their 2 weeks notice, but idk the circumstances of why they were let go so it could be that they planned to fire them before they put in their 2 weeks notice
---

If he's that worried about it and he already has another job, then don't put in your two weeks.
---

Smarkil posted...

If he's that worried about it and he already has another job, then don't put in your two weeks.

Yeah honestly the beauty of the "at will" employment (the only beauty though, the rest is bullshit since you can effectively get fired for someone not liking you) is that you can just walk out the door once you've got your new job lined up and don't feel like working anymore.

Two weeks' notice in an "at will" environment is not at all a formal or binding contract It's just a professional courtesy. It's effectively "I'm quitting in two weeks" so they know and so you have time to complete projects and transition your work.
---