I know 2 weeks is customary.
I am expecting a job offer today. I have a lot I need to wrap up and transition at my current company if I leave, plus I am out on vacation next week. So I plan on telling my new employer that I can start of 3/10. This is 4 weeks out, and I know that is on the long end of things, but I think it is what I need to get things done w/o leaving anyone hanging.
In an ideal world, I would like to be able to provide my current employer with that much notice, but we are paid bonuses based on 2013 performance on 2/28. I am afraid that if I give my notice before 2/28, they will terminate me in advance of paying the bonus. I want to give my notice as soon as the bonus is paid. So if I give my notice on 2/28, that means that I will be giving 1 week of notice.
I am trying to rationalize this as okay for the following reasons:
-I know I'm leaving, and I can transition my duties under the guise of cross training starting now. This way nobody is left hanging.
-1 week in the grand scheme of making a hire to replace me is not a big deal. There is a requisition process and a lengthy interview process, so there is no way they could have a replacement in 2 weeks time, anyway. In short, a week will not make a difference to their replacement process.
-The turnover here is nuts, they fire a lot of people, and I am concerned that I risk a gap in pay (and notably the bonus) if I give too much notice. Okay, do I really need the money? No, it's not huge. But I feel that I've already earned it, and it is due to me. I don't want to risk not getting it.
I am comfortable telling my old employer, if they ask about why I am only giving a week's notice, that I was concerned about being let go before bonuses were paid given the firing practices I've witnessed in my 4 years here.
To further complicate matters, someone that used to work with me at my old company that now works at the new company wants to know when I give notice, b/c she is still in touch with some folks over here, and wants to know when she can talk about it freely. I don't want my new employer to know if I don't give 2 weeks notice. I think I should talk to her and let her know my plan and where I am coming from, and ask her to keep it between us. Does this sound like a bad idea?