Boss Refuses To Accept Worker’s Two-Week Notice Because Finding A Replacement Would Take Too Long
The boss was willing to inconvenience his employee for his own benefit.
cottonbro studio / Pexels Ben Askins, an expert on workplace etiquette, recently shared an employee’s account of what happened when he tried to leave his job.
The boss refused to accept his worker’s notice because finding a replacement would take too long.
The employee, Chris, gave his boss a written notice, as is customary in office settings. His letter was clearly outlined and appropriately measured, starting, “I’m writing to inform you that I’m handing in my notice. I have received a really great offer that I can’t [refuse] so please take this as me serving my one month’s notice.”
He offered up his support in hiring a replacement and making sure all handovers went smoothly. He also added a thankful acknowledgment to his current employer, writing, “I will miss working with you and the rest of the team.”
Despite Chris’s propriety, his boss, Steve, declined to accept that he was leaving the company. The boss began his response by stating, “Unfortunately, I really can’t have you leaving at this time in the year.”
“You know how busy we are,” the boss continued. “Finding a replacement will take too long.” The boss shared that he’d be "willing to accept" his employee leaving if he were to extend his notice to three months.
In a TikTok, Askins pointed out what was wrong with Steve’s answer, noting, “Companies don’t have to grant you permission to leave or quit.”
The boss attempted to guilt his employee into staying longer because it benefited him and would create less labor on his end.
He even leveraged the other employees in his guilt trip, saying, “It’s not me I’m worried about. It is the rest of the team, who have to pick up the slack with you gone.”
While Steve framed Chris’s quitting as an action that negatively affects the company, it’s really the boss’s behavior that’s hurting his employees. This boss's guilt trip is part of a more insidious pattern of companies claiming they operate as family units, and therefore can’t let each other down.
The boss continued using the team as collateral, writing, “The fact that you aren’t willing to help them out at this time of year is a shame. But, if that is your decision, I guess we will have to make the most of it.”
Photo: fizkes / Shutterstock
Chris stood up for himself, calling his boss out for the unfair response.
“I have worked extremely hard for you for the past four years,” he wrote back. “This is an extremely good opportunity for me and my family, and the fact that you are saying things like this is just not on.” He added that the new job is conditional on him beginning within a few weeks, and therefore could not extend his notice regardless.
Askins applauded the employee's response, noting, “It’s well within your right to just work your notice.” As long as your contract doesn’t say otherwise, he's completely correct.
As Business News Daily notes, employers don’t have any legal protections when an employee decides to quit. While offering up your two-week notice is standard operating procedure at most companies, it’s not actually required by law unless you signed a contract that specifically requires it.
Ryan Stygar, an attorney who shares legal guidance on TikTok, offered the following advice regarding two-week notice.
“Giving notice is usually a good idea,” he said. “It helps preserve the relationship, in case you want to come back, and it’s always good to leave things on a good note, but it’s not required.”
Unfortunately for Steve, his response to Chris’s notice most likely soured the relationship. His reaction is indicative of what so often goes wrong in the workplace, in general: Workers are expected to give their all to a company, yet when it comes down to it, companies consistently refuse to consider their workers’ best interests.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture and all things to do with the entertainment industry.