Should you always give your employer two weeks to a month of advance notice when you are planning on leaving a job? Not necessarily.
The vast majority of employees in the United States are “at will” employees. That means that your employer can fire you at any time for any reason, or for no given reason at all without notice. It also means you can leave your job at any time for any reason, or no given reason at all.
But more important than legalities, you should never put your employer’s interest over your own. While I think it’s critical for employers to strive to build positive working environments for their employees, the reality is that we can’t change the world overnight and sometimes happiness and sanity means removing yourself from a toxic situation as swiftly as possible. In these cases, I am squarely on the side of the employee.
When you’re making the decision about how to leave your job, you have to consider the individual nature of your situation, and you have to do what’s in your best interest. That may be leaving the day you give your notice. Though there are some employers that are gracious and supportive of their employees after they give their notice, the sad truth is that they are the exception to the rule. You must consider how your employer has behaved in the past, your current circumstances in the company, and the reasons you’ve decided to move on in the first place.
Here are some circumstances when you may want to consider foregoing any advanced notice when resigning:

• Your working environment is unsafe. Your employer has an obligation to ensure that you can carry out the assigned duties of your job in a safe manner.
• Your working environment is toxic, with your mental health being endangered by stress. Stress is not something to be dismissed – if you exist in a stressful environment long enough, it will make you physically sick.
• You are being asked to do something illegal or unethical. If your boss is putting you in a compromising position, it is an unfair risk for you to assume for any period of time, even if it’s just two weeks.
• Your employers have exhibited a propensity for unethical behavior, even if they haven’t asked you to participate. For instance, I once had a client who was leaving her department at a large organization and transferring to another due to the unethical behavior of her supervisor. She gave two weeks notice. On the last day, her supervisor fired her as a scapegoat for something he had done, making her ineligible for the transfer. She was left with no job at all, and no unemployment benefits because she was fired for cause, because she gave notice and gave him time to prepare his retribution on her.
• Your employers have shown others the door when they give notice. If you’re witnessed other employees on their way out giving two weeks notice, and your employer turns around and says “you should just leave today”, there is nothing to say they won’t do it to you too. A pre-emptive strike is perfectly appropriate.
• You have access to critical systems or technologies. Say you’re an IT Director, and have access to all of the technology that runs your organization. What happens if there’s a major technological failure in between the time you give your notice, and the time you leave? They will be looking for a scapegoat, and it will likely be you.
• You have a personal or family crisis. Your personal life should always take precedence over your obligations to an employer. The good ones will understand, and accommodate it. The bad ones don’t deserve notice.
• You just don’t want to go back. Employment at will does not require that you give notice or have a specific reason for it. Employers use this all of the time to fire people without notice. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. If your employer is providing a positive and stimulating working environment, it’s unlikely that you will have a desire to leave without notice.

Of course, if you’re going to quit without notice, you have to consider the consequences of it. For example:

• If you’re leaving without notice, chances are you are not going to be able to get a reference from your boss. There are always ways around this, but make sure you have a plan for it.
• Your organization may have a policy regarding paying out unused vacation days that requires a certain amount of notice. Vacation days can result in a nice chunk of change when you leave a job. Make sure you consult your employee handbook to see if there’s a policy that would prevent you from collecting.

At the end of the day, you need to step back and do what’s in your best interest. That may be handing in your resignation, and walking out the door.

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