Apparently the new trend is to quit without notice.. I have had TWO employees (on a 6FTE team) quit in the last month without notice. Normally I would immediately assume bad manager- but I am the manager and I know they have had a good experience. I am very mad at the way they’ve left and know that my team and I didn’t deserve it. Has anyone had this recently? My Gen Z employee made a comment that this is a new Fad in her generation and she hates it.

Although it’s nice to be considerate of your coworkers, we really don’t owe our lives to our jobs. If they were getting fired, would they have 2 weeks to leave…?

Question: Would you give a two weeks notice if you were letting them go??? No you would not. So what makes you entitled to a notice?

I think we all know that giving a two weeks notice is common courtesy. But in reality, anyone has the right to quit whenever they want. Just like someone is fired without notice someone can quit without notice.

I’m so tired of bosses complaining when employees leave without notice. The facts are these:

1. When you fire an employee, you don’t give them notice or courtesy. We have so many very public examples of employees finding out that their employment was terminated… when they when to log back into their computers after a lunch break.

2. With all due respect, you are not in the position to judge when there you’re a great boss or not. Maybe you were, but maybe you weren’t. The fact is, your very position creates blind spots in your management style that you may be wholly unaware of.

3. Inflation is very real. If employees aren’t getting at least about 8% increase annually - without having to jump through hoops, beg, and perform circus tricks to get it - they’re actually losing income every year that they remain. So of course, when another company is offering a 20% or 30% bump in income right away - employees have every right to do what’s best for themselves and their families to make sure that their financial situation outpaces inflation.

4. So many times when employees complain about toxic workplaces, or harassment, or racial micro aggressions, their cries are either ignored, or they are silenced and scapegoated. Many managers give off an air of unapproachability that inevitably creates situations where employees won’t come to you when there’s an issue - and rightly so. So they end up beating it until something better comes along.

5. Employers and managers weren’t complaining a few months ago when so many employees were being laid off en made. None of you were concerned by how it affected them, how inconsiderate it was, and how it affected their families. People had just bought homes, and found themselves on the breadline a few weeks later. People found out while on maternity leave. People found out they were laid off after so many of you lied to our faces and told us that layoffs absolutely were not happening.

6. And then, to find out months later that many of you employed us to simply keep us out of your competitors’ hands - and so apparently you never really needed us to begin with - which made it super easy for many of you to lay us off. How considerate.

7. If you think for a second that employees need to be loyal when management and employers repeatedly demonstrate their disloyalty - you need to think again. “Loyalty” and “consideration” come when you don’t lowball employees in salary negotiations. It comes when you foster a work culture that doesn’t tolerate bullying, micro aggressions, corruption, nepotism, karenism, nor promoting your buddies above other employees who are way more qualified for that promotion. Managers and employers have the unmitigated gall and audacity to come into an app that is supposed to be a safe space for employees - who dare not rant at work for fear of the inevitable retaliation- and complain that exiting employees are somehow “disloyal” and “inconsiderate”. The cognitive dissonance is both stunning and hilarious.
In short - don’ worry about employee disloyalty - instead maybe worry about WHY your workplace is suddenly bleeding employees. Did they feel compensated enough? Did they feel that their work contributions were valued? Was their hard work ever stolen? Did you or other managers ever take credit for ideas they came up with? Did you micro manage them? Did you put them on performance improvement plans when a simple conversation may have been all that was needed to rectify an issue? Maybe you should be more concerned about that, than whether an employee should consider you and your team when his or her livelihood and quality of life is at stake every single day in the workplace.

You'll find that there's a lot of support around no-notice quitting on Reddit r/antiwork. The logic stems from stories of employees giving notice, but then were fired before their last day. There's other logic as well (such as the same respect of 2 weeks isn't given for firing by companies), but that is what I see as the biggest reason, fear.

Because employers 1) don’t give any notice and usually no severance for firings or layoffs (so why the one-sided respect?), and 2) lately will let them go on the spot now, instead of even letting them work out their notice. Often times, those weeks of employment were crucial.

This just happened to me. I was so fed up by the toxic environment and knew I had to quit. I should have waited until the 1st of the month, but couldn’t hold back. The big problem being, when you’re done, you lose your health insurance. They told me I was done the day I quit instead of letting me work out my notice period. I had two CANCER-related surgeries that I needed done the following month that I would have had insurance to cover had I quit the 1st of the month vs last of the previous month.
They didn’t care.
Yes, there’s Cobra, but I had to do the math on what that costs vs the uncertainty of not having funds stretch out while I look for a new job, etc.

If your company has already screwed other employees who have left by not allowing them to workout their notice period, then they’ve sent the message “we don’t care about you”, so why should other employees grant respect and loyalty not received?

Honestly, good for them.

I would not take it personal. When companies let go their of their employees they rarely give notice. It is usually done behind closed doors then the impacted are made aware. People are now treating employers the way the employers treat the employees.

I’ve found the newest mind set for this is “if you don’t have to give me 2 weeks to terminate me, why do I need to give you 2 weeks for leaving”
Highly unfortunate circumstances.

IMO, is they had such a “good experience,” they wouldn’t leave without notice unless these are very unique circumstances

As an elder millennial, I’ve always given 2 week’s notice, but I understand Gen Z’s approach and it makes sense just to leave immediately.

- I’ve given 2 week notices because of “courtesy and respect”, none were reciprocated. I had 2 managers tell me I could leave before the 2 weeks without a knowledge/info transfer as a “power play” to make me feel I wasn’t needed in the first place. This was after I told them I’d do everything to help transfer knowledge and leave the team in a good place.

- I’ve been iced out by teammates and removed from meetings like I didn’t exist for the next 2 weeks.

These were all professionals jobs where management had a Masters degrees, years of experience (way older than me) and behaved like petty children. Looking back I could’ve left immediately, taken myself on a 2 week vacation and started the next job.

You may want to reflect on why you believe they should see their co-workers as friends and sacrifice their own career interests, financial growth, well being, whatever, for people who happen to work for the same employer as they do(/did).

I agree with you that it’s best practice to serve out a contractual notice period (assuming they have one?). In the current climate, and especially with younger generations who bring a fresh perspective, employees know that companies only see them as a number on a spreadsheet and will cut them off with no notice if it is best for the business. So that’s how people in Gen Z (and beyond!) are now framing the employee-employer relationship. Respect is a two-way street.

Sorry to hear this. Very disrespectful. How long were the employees before they quit?

Employers getting a taste of their own cold hearted medicine. I love it.

You have a six person team, but have had four people resign in 11 months. That's a really high rate. Instead of being mad at them for leaving, you should be taking a hard and honest look at why so many people are leaving your team/company before you lose more.

Not to be 1 sided but vice versa you dont get the luxury of having 2 weeks before your let go, the stress of going home to your family after trying to figure out what to do .. getting fired usually results in humiliation of being walked out on that date, also in the event someone passes away you will put thier job up for grabs right after.. most times noone is valued at their position.. mentally people just give up and choose themselves lately thats been a trend That I know!

“And I know they had a good experience”

Why would they give you two weeks notice? Would you give them two weeks notice if you had to lay them off or fire them? Companies need to wake up about the new reality of a younger generation - they have no loyality (nor should they) to a company.

Happy employees who have had “a good experience” don’t leave without notice. Self reflection would be good here.

I recently resigned effective immediately. I loved my job! It was stressful and I worked a lot of hours.! We hired new people and even though they were still in training, I was willing to ride out the bumps! I left because the environment I was in was toxic. I made it known that things were uncomfortable but nothing ever changed.

I hated to leave and I actually felt depressed.
I worked there for 13 years.

I hit a wall and realized I deserved better. I was ready to leave but my boss asked me to stay 3 weeks so they could prepare. I ended up staying 2.

My coworker was fired today. No notice. No PIP. Nothing. Been with the company 10+ years and they changed the locks to their office. I’ve never not given notice, but now I’m starting to think it’s the way to go. And that coworker just had a baby.