When should I tell work I'm leaving?

[BlahCollege]

So I work for a large tech company. I really like everyone I work with and feel a little guilty for leaving because I will be leaving my small team with even more work (we already lost one member recently). They are about to start a huge new project and are determining the teams. I want to tell them that I will be going to grad school and not to plan on me being a large contributor to this new project (which is likely what they'll end up doing) and maybe they'll need to hire someone new to replace me, doing so now would give me enough time to bring them up to speed on what I've worked on. However, I don't want to risk being let go early as I do not get to keep my signing bonus / relocation if I do not work for a full year and I would sill like to be paid up through July. I'm 95% confident they would not let me go because I told them, but there is still that 5% I cannot shake. So any thoughts or opinions?

[Janie M.]

Hi. I do not think you have any reason at all to feel guilty. Going back to school is a completely understandable reason to leave any job, no matter how invested you are in it (or how invested the company is in you). I think you will find that most everyone here will be supportive and understanding of your decision. They would be crazy not to be happy for you. I have a feeling that they would appreciate it if you would let them know as soon as possible. It doesn't seem like they would let you go because they will respect you more for telling them in advance. I understand your 5% feeling of being nervous about this possibility though. Good luck!

[kingspeech]

I would give two weeks' notice, a month max. I would definitely wait until I'd made the full year. Notifying jobs way too early has never worked out for me.

[ak48]

So I work for a large tech company. I really like everyone I work with and feel a little guilty for leaving because I will be leaving my small team with even more work (we already lost one member recently). They are about to start a huge new project and are determining the teams. I want to tell them that I will be going to grad school and not to plan on me being a large contributor to this new project (which is likely what they'll end up doing) and maybe they'll need to hire someone new to replace me, doing so now would give me enough time to bring them up to speed on what I've worked on. However, I don't want to risk being let go early as I do not get to keep my signing bonus / relocation if I do not work for a full year and I would sill like to be paid up through July. I'm 95% confident they would not let me go because I told them, but there is still that 5% I cannot shake. So any thoughts or opinions?

 

 

I think the rule of thumb is a month's notice, which should be enough time for them to prepare replacing you while also not creating too much "lame duck" time for yourself. 

[Tuck]

I agree that a month's notice is adequate for a salaried job involving projects, responsibility, and long-term goals. You can start preparing for the transition now - keeping your ears open for good candidates who might be looking, organizing things, documenting all your procedures and responsibilities, and so on so that a new employee in your position can hit the ground running.

 

Two weeks is fine for most retail/service industry jobs.

 

I have often heard that one pay period is how much notice you should give.

 

I am still strugging to decide when I should actually leave my job. I'd like to take some time off to visit family and friends, leisurely pack my house, and move with plenty of time to get settled in, but I know I probably ought to stay as long as possible to save money.

[queenleblanc]

Make sure that if you give your two weeks or thirty days notice, that you have enough funds to live on if they say "you can go immediately". Seem companies are like that. Fnd out if your company would be like that (my husband's is, so we haven't even told them that I got into school, much less that we will be moving). He is going to give two weeks notice with the understanding that his crazy boss might tell him he can go tomorrow. So... Keep that in mind to find out on the sly if you can.

[midnight]

I agree with everyone else: It's important to follow professional standards, but it's also important to protect yourself.

 

I would absolutely not give more than a month's notice.

[lemony]

In a similar situation-- I'm most likely sticking to two weeks' notice.

[MadScience]

I vote 2 weeks, it is what I plan on doing. Some places won't even let you take the 2 weeks, and so you're out those 2 weeks of extra pay. For me, giving one month notice would be way too risky.

 

Of course, it is ideal to provide as much notice as possible but I would recommend looking out for yourself in this situation just to be safe. Many of us will be taking substantial pay cuts going from jobs to grad school so it's important to save as much as possible beforehand.

[GuitarSlayer]

2 weeks, no more, no less.  If you believe there is any chance they would try to shortchange you, you reduce that by half by making it the typical 2 weeker.