Wwyd?

[mamacatnv]

People do not owe their employers anything??? WTH??
Do you work in a sweatshop? I definitely do feel like I owe my employer a lot and my word is one of them.
Bottom line OP is you came up with a great idea too late. Stinks but it is the way it is.

What I mean is employees owe their employers what they were hired for, to do their jobs to the best of their abilities. They do not owe them to go up and above, they do not owe them to stay when a better offer comes along, they do not owe them to work for free or to offer themselves up for abuse etc. Also, employers are not some untouchable entity that should never be crossed, that is where I think people go off course and give the employer way more power than they should.

I agree that a persons word is very important and several of us have stated that the OP's DH should have stated what he was going to do instead of asking, given the circumstances. However, I also think it is not reasonable for the employer to hold his feet to the fire for what equates to 2 days. Sounds to me like the manager is bent out of shape the OP's DH is leaving, I mean really 2 days! The manager is being unnecessarily unreasonable and selfish and I would weigh that into my decision of how to proceed.

The OP asked if the employer could withhold pay or COBRA benefits and the answer is NO, they cannot.

 

[bonoriffic]

Everyone seems to think that by moving your exit date up 2 days, that suddenly you are burning a bridge. So you are an honest and hard working employee for years, but try to get a vacation for your family in before your new job as you likely won't be able to take off for awhile and you are suddenly a horrible person? If my employer was so shallow as to try and torpedo a future (and highly unlikely) phone call over 2 days, well that speaks volumes about the person you are working for. They are probably inclined to be a jerk regardless if you work until Friday.

Do what is best for you. My company could eliminate my position tomorrow with no warning. And has in the past. There is no such thing as loyalty anymore. You aren't a better person for honoring your arbitrary exit date at the sacrifice of your family. You could have up and left the day you announced you were leaving.

 

[shortbun]

I'd honor my original arrangement. Too bad about Disney but as an adult, he has that responsibility. I don't think there is wiggle room.

 

[Swank]

Don't burn bridges. I was just laid off 6 months ago and was not finding anything. Three months into my unemployment an old boss gave me a call and offered me a job. If I had done what your husband had done I don't think I would have the offer.

 

[luvsJack]

2 weeks notice is not required. Many, many people that work without a contract do not give 2 weeks notice at all.

Dh left the same company 3 times and went to work somewhere else. He never gave 2 weeks notice, more like a couple of days. The HR dept. never stamped him with "not eligible for rehire"--they rehired him 3 times, twice with a salary increase!!

As the person who did the hiring for the child care center and who handled the request for reference--hiring dates, last date of employement and salary range was just about all you could ask for legally. We got any other info from background/criminal checks we did through the local law enforcment and the FBI.

As for owing your employer, I owe my employer an honest days work. I owe them my professional behavior when I am on the job and I owe them the respect of always being an amassador for the college. I do not owe them the right to tell me when my last day will be.

He gave notice, he said when his last would be (Wednesday--even if that was a change from the original Friday); that is all he owes them. The employer does not have the right to come back and say "no, your last day will be xxxxx" I would simply go in and say "my last day will be Wednesday. I apologize for the change but it is unavoidable."

 

[anniemae]

As much as it would annoy me, I would stick with Friday as my last day. You just never know. What if dh is looking for a job 5 or 6 years down the line and the hiring manager is someone from his old company?

I like the idea of you going to disney on Wed, and have dh join you Friday after work.

 

[pioneer89]

Don't go.

At my company, I've have people quit with no notice, or short notice, and frequently they are good people I would hire back. But our HR policy is 2 weeks notice, or you never work for us again. It turns a 'resignation' into a 'terminated for cause: no show'.

And yes, we did end up buying out another company where one of these 'no-show people went to work. He didn't get fired because it was 3 years later, and the guy was well liked and had no issues except the no show firing, but I was told we could have easily fired him for cause as soon as he became our employee again. If he would have been on the bad side of our HR manager, I'm 100% sure she would have done just that.

It's a small world sometimes, and the people in your DH's old job will remember this.

On a side note, I've moved jobs twice, and both times I made myself available for phone calls well after I had my new job. It's paid off very well.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I think leaving early is a bad idea. This isn't just about the boss, it's about everyone who works there.

When DH still lived in NYC he worked for Co X. We moved to Pa and he got a job here for 5 years. Then a co-worker from Co X was given a whole new department. This co-worker liked my DH and CREATED a job just for him then hand picked him for it, pushed him above all the other applicants. The career my DH enjoys at this very moment was possible because some guy he used to work with liked him, remembered his work ethic and brought him into the fold.

Sometimes how you leave is everything.

Disney will always be there but a good reputation won't.

 

[ols386]

My suggestion is to give up the trip and work the extra days. He said he could work until Friday. And, while he does not need this job right now, you never, ever know what the future holds. My motto is to never burn bridges in the work place. It is rarely a good idea.

This is excellent advice.

 

[DMass]

At my company, I've have people quit with no notice, or short notice, and frequently they are good people I would hire back. But our HR policy is 2 weeks notice, or you never work for us again. It turns a 'resignation' into a 'terminated for cause: no show'.

Isn't it funny when they lay you off they want you gone that day.

 

[Agri]

Unless you're leaving McDonald's to work at Wendy's while you work your way through college, you need to be respectful and keep your word once you are *in* your career of choice. If he goes to WDW, he's not just going back on his word with his soon to be ex-boss, he's messing over whoever he's agreed to train. When you're in a specific line of work, you never know when you're going to run into those people again and being on good terms with them is the best plan of action.

10 years from now, the person he skipped out on training might be at another company your husband is at and asked for their input on who they should promote. They'll remember his actions and probably tell the other people what happened and recommend someone else. You just never know.

 

[CathrynRose]

Don't go.

At my company, I've have people quit with no notice, or short notice, and frequently they are good people I would hire back. But our HR policy is 2 weeks notice, or you never work for us again. It turns a 'resignation' into a 'terminated for cause: no show'.

That's a mistake on your companies part. It was not a termination by you: no show. That's ridiculous, and something an employee could take up with the labor department. It's false.


And (side note) there are many industries, and companies, that - even if you put in your 2 week notice - you have to leave *that day*, as they deal with private information. I worked for an Insurance Claim Negotiation company. No 2 weeks there. You put in notice, you were gone right then and there.

 

[mamacatnv]

OP, in regards to wwyd, I would not take advice from anyone who does not know the difference between "perspective" and "prospective". ymmv.

Wow, snark much

 

[CathrynRose]

I went back and read the OP, again.

I'd leave Wednesday, no question in my mind. What if the new job needed him Thursday? Would everyone nay-saying against him leaving Wednesday still be singing the same tune?

Sounds like the old boss is a jerk. Really - 2 days more work is going to make a difference? Really???

Things change, life throws curve balls (and WDW getaways) - if the old boss isn't professional enough to understand that, I wouldn't want to ever work for or with him again, anyways.

Leave Wednesday and have fun.

 

[CathrynRose]

Unless you're leaving McDonald's to work at Wendy's while you work your way through college, you need to be respectful and keep your word once you are *in* your career of choice. .

What difference does this make?? If "your word is your word" - how does the fast food industry make any difference?

It doesn't. So just as you can leave McDonalds for Wendy's in a heartbeat, you can leave two days earlier than planned from old job.

Isn't it funny when they lay you off they want you gone that day.

Exactly. I've never ever heard of anyone getting a 2 weeks lay off / fired notice.

 

[pioneer89]

That's a mistake on your companies part. It was not a termination by you: no show. That's ridiculous, and something an employee could take up with the labor department. It's false.


And (side note) there are many industries, and companies, that - even if you put in your 2 week notice - you have to leave *that day*, as they deal with private information. I worked for an Insurance Claim Negotiation company. No 2 weeks there. You put in notice, you were gone right then and there.

I didn't state that as well as I intended. The employee that was terminated for no-show did give his two week notice, then decided to just not show up his last week, and was terminated mid-week after the two or three (I forget) days of not showing up. We've had a few people who've quit on the spot, or at the end of a day, and those are marked as resignations (or whatever term HR uses), but we'll still never hire them back.

 

[pioneer89]

Exactly. I've never ever heard of anyone getting a 2 weeks lay off / fired notice.

If someone is fired for performance or attendance or behavior issues, they are usually gone on the spot, and they receive a check for time worked and any unused vacation time. (I like to refer to these people as firing themselves.)

No statistics here, just a guess, but I bet that well over half the people who get laid-off from anything but retail/construction, get a few weeks notice, and/or a couple weeks severence pay.

I've certainly hear of that in every single case of major plants closing in my area, in fact, my company has a written policy on severence for employees terminated due to elimination of that job.

 

[mamacatnv]

If someone is fired for performance or attendance or behavior issues, they are usually gone on the spot, and they receive a check for time worked and any unused vacation time. (I like to refer to these people as firing themselves.)

No statistics here, just a guess, but I bet that well over half the people who get laid-off from anything but retail/construction, get a few weeks notice, and/or a couple weeks severence pay.

I've certainly hear of that in every single case of major plants closing in my area, in fact, my company has a written policy on severence for employees terminated due to elimination of that job.

Around here there is rarely any notice given. One of the largest employers in our area let go 30% of their staff 2 years ago with no notice whatsoever. Over the last 2 years they have continued to reduce their workforce, often an employee will arrive to find a box (for their belongings) on their desk. Some employees through a glitch received notice from the retirement funds holder to "help them thru their lay-off" prior to them even being informed of said lay-off by the employer.

My brothers company in California had the same thing happen, soon to be terminated/laid off employees were pre-notifed by the holder of the retirement accounts.

The employer is all about the bottom line, the employee has the right to consider their own circumstances also and notify the soon to be ex-employer of his change of plans.

DH's company walks you to the door the minute you give notice.

A friend of mine recently accepted an incentive from his new employer to only give the former employer 1 weeks notice so they could get him sooner.

Again, the whole "I owe the company" or "I must give notice" thing is purely a courtesy it is not mandated nor should it be.

 

[Arielle22]

I'm sorry but you are way off base yourself. An employer cannot require notice unless there is some sort of employment contract. Most states do not have employment contracts as a matter of law unless there is a union involved.

The courtesy rule of thumb is:
1 week for casual labor type positions
2 weeks for mid management on down to the casual labor
1-2 months for CEO's, CFO's etc.

As for hearing a Not eligible for rehire and "dropping like a hot potato" you are setting your company up to be sued by the prospective employee.
Employers rarely go there anymore. The laws have tied our hands and so we have had to find other ways to check a persons character, the word of a former co-worker/HR Dept is just not enough and it can be very misleading or vague.
We get DMV records, use Google, we hire private background companies etc. We verify dates of employment looking for large gaps, we run criminal checks and credit reports but we rarely base a decision on the words of a former employer, its just not worth the risk and is subject to all sorts of discrimination.
Let me tell you when checking references the Not Eligible for rehire really does not deter me and if you are not careful, your tone can be called into question and again you are setting your employer up to be sued. Courts/Juries are not employer friendly, they want to see the little guy win, be very careful in what you do, how you say it and who you say it to. Not Eligible for Rehire has become so passe that it means nothing to most HR personel I know. Sometimes I will ask the perspective employee why their former employer is holding a grudge and its amazing the stories I have heard.

I am not afraid of a former employer and refuse to give them that kind of power.

I generally call the former employer and the conversation goes something like this:
Hi, I'm calling for an employment verification regarding _____
I have dates of hire being X to X. Beginning wage X and ending wage X.
Is their any reason legally documented in the personel file that I should be aware of in regards to hiring this person?
I have found that those words tend to put someone on their heels and I get the information I am looking for. Also, I always get a release from the prospective employee and will send it over on request.

Employment law is something that lots of people think they know, but in reality they do not and they make all sorts of mistakes because of it.
Leaving 2 days early is not a decent enough reason to mark an employee ineligible for rehire, no company worth its salt or with a decent reputation would even go there.

People do not owe their employers anything. The whole loyal employee going to be there till they retire is outdated and archaic. Employers are not loyal, they are in business to make $$$ and will let an employee go despite years of loyal service etc.
Also, remember most prospective employees don't want you contacting their current employer so we the employers have to make hiring decisons around that obstacle too.

I am also a HR Mgr. You do realize there have been no successful lawsuits by a prospective employee against a former employer based on a bad reference check? If the former company wanted to put up a billboard saying "OP's husband lied about his last day of work" it would be legal.

Just because the employee does not do something illegal does not mean they were a good employee. If an employee breaks company policy then they become a bad employee but nothing illegal is done. When my employee recently decided to live in a storage unit on a site it was not illegal but he was marked not eligible for rehire.

I don't know which laws you are speaking of that have tied employers hands (unless it is a state law). There are rules to using background checks and drug screens by third parties but no laws about using information received from a former employer.

An employer can mark an employee ineligibile for for any reason they choose outside of those protected under federal and state law.

The company also does not need to pay out sick time if OP's husband decided to call in sick. Many companies have a policy of not allowing paid time off during the notice period (especially the days of work).

One previous poster mentioned being sued for slander. The defense against slander is that the company believed what it was saying is the truth.

 

[VickiVM]

OP - your husband should do whatever is comfortable and appropriate for your family. Be aware of consequences that burning this bridge may bring.

For what it's worth - today's generation of young employee's have no problem walking in and quitting on the spot for greener pastures. There's nothing wrong with that. But younger workers need to be aware that often it is an 'older' generation still making hiring decisions. We still consider fulfilling a 2 week notice to be good business etiquette. And in some industries or small cities, not much goes on that other companies don't hear about.

Just sayin'.