Author Topic: Swami's last call  (Read 4721 times)

irastache

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Swami's last call
« on: June 23, 2012, 09:52:01 AM »
I'd like to discuss the best way to make the best job exit.I'm not sure how much we've talked about this on the board and I figure it might help folks.

We are practicing Swami(s) -- well paying tech jobs, staches grown out to our number goal and costs under control. I've figured extra money never hurts, but that also leads to the feeling of "just one more month..." and enough is maybe enough.

My departure will leave more stress for the team as they fill in my work and a lay off severance package is never far away in this industry. I'd like to go out on good terms rather then calling it in hoping for a parachute.


Does anyone have experience negotiating your departure?
It might be nice to give the team  and boss a heads up beyond the traditional two weeks for a graceful exit, but this might just lead to being walked out the same as giving notice.
I've seen some articles about contacting HR to ask about voluntary reductions, but this also seems like asking to be walked out.
Traditional two week notice / quitting is always a possiblility but can I do better?

What do you think is the best way to finish strong?


Uncephalized

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Re: Swami's last call
« Reply #1 on: June 23, 2012, 11:14:19 AM »
In my opinion, if you are courteous enough to give your employer, say, six months' notice, and they respond poorly by "walking you out" (which I am assuming means dismissing you immediately instead of agreeing to your proposed timeline, leaving your coworkers in the lurch), that's their poor management decision and not something that would reflect badly on you. I don't see how it would be advantageous to them, though, as opposed to taking the allowed time to interview, hire and train a replacement.

Jamesqf

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Re: Swami's last call
« Reply #2 on: June 23, 2012, 02:17:00 PM »
If layoffs are never far away, why not just wait until yours comes along?  As you say, more money never hurts, and it doesn't appear as though you are under any great stress in your job.  You might even be able to negotiate the voluntary reduction and/or things like telecommuting.  If the attempt triggers your involuntary departure, so what?

sideways8

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Re: Swami's last call
« Reply #3 on: June 26, 2012, 07:34:32 AM »
I thought it was sort of common to be walked out when leaving a tech job. At least that's what has happened to my sister a couple of times when she put in her notice after getting better job offers. It wasn't because they were mad at her, it was just their policy. They wouldn't take any risk of a soon-to-be-leaving employee tampering with their stuff, I guess.

ShavinItForLater

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Re: Swami's last call
« Reply #4 on: June 26, 2012, 10:00:21 AM »
I would certainly plan for the expectation of being walked out once you give notice.  Many places have those kinds of policies, and for good reason--apart from paranoid concerns about stealing information, sabotage, etc., it can be very de-motivating to the team to have someone still there but talking about their exit plans.

I have personal experience with this--I got an offer for a competing company with a flexible start date, and didn't want to leave my current project in the lurch.  So I gave notice but said if you want me to keep working another couple of months that would be fine.  At first, my supervisor and management above that was very appreciative, since I was in the middle of a bunch of work and it would have been disruptive to have me just suddenly depart.  They accepted my offer to stay on while they found a replacement.  Then the next day they came back and said we only want you to finish this list of critical tasks, and you will be done in 2 weeks.  Then the next day they came back and said you're done, off the project as of today, and gave me a final 2 weeks of pay without even working.

At the time I thought it was all handled very unprofessionally--I was trying to do the honorable thing, and felt very insulted by the way they handled it.  Looking back on it though, word spread about my impending departure quickly, and people were asking me at lunch, etc. about my new role at the competing company.  I expect that's why I was eventually suddenly removed.

This might be more common in larger corporate cultures--if you work for a small or mid size company and you have relationships with the owners/top executives personally, then it may not happen that way.  I would just advise that you go in prepared for that outcome once you give notice, and try not to be surprised or insulted if they ask you to leave immediately.

Back to your main point though, there's no harm in offering a more gradual transition, and in your shoes that's probably what I'd do, once I had "enough" and could handle the above outcome.  I think it's a fine and honorable thing to do, treating them the way you'd like to be treated. 

If you're leaving to stop working as you seem to be replying, one idea might be talking about retiring or taking a "sabbatical" rather than quitting, as those kinds of departures are more typically planned in advance, and might not trigger the same "policy" as someone quitting to start a similar job elsewhere.

TLV

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Re: Swami's last call
« Reply #5 on: June 26, 2012, 11:24:47 AM »
My workplace is a lot like ShavinItForLater described. A coworker gave 2 weeks notice that he was leaving for a competitor, and our manager was glad for the notice - but then an HR rep met with them the next day, and he got walked out mid-day. They did give him the full 2 weeks of pay, though. So most likely if you get walked out immediately, it's because of the corporate HR policy and not because your managers want you to leave that soon.

However, that's not always the case. Another coworker left last week, and didn't get walked out early for 1 reason: He only said that he was leaving, and didn't say where he was going until the last day. I guess at my company the policy only applies if you're leaving to work at a competitor.

vwDavid

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Re: Swami's last call
« Reply #6 on: June 26, 2012, 11:27:40 AM »
following this topic. Thanks to irastach for starting it.

What about going in negotiating a change to part time work to see how that is accepted? This is what I am considering. 80% for a year, then maybe 60% for a year. Then pull the plug...

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!