Worker Says Not Giving 2-Weeks' Notice When Quitting The Job She Had For 10 Years Was The Best Thing She Ever Did
Not every job deserves that level of consideration.
BongkarnGraphic / Shutterstock A woman's admittance that she felt proud quitting the job she had for over a decade on her own terms has resonated with viewers, who pointed out that giving a 2-week notice is sometimes a scam.
In a TikTok video, a Gen X content creator shared that if you're working a job with a toxic work culture, you shouldn't feel inclined to give them a heads-up when you quit.
She said not giving a 2-week notice for a job she had for 10 years was the best thing she did.
"I have seen so many things on TikTok lately about whether or not to give your place of employment a notice or not, and what is inappropriate notice," she began in her video.
She explained that after working at the job for nine years, it got so bad that she would cry on her way to work and would just want to drive right past the parking lot without looking back on multiple occasions, but she didn't have a choice.
"I was married to someone [who] could not hold down a job, and in life sometimes, you have to suck it up until something better comes along," she continued. It eventually managed to happen for her, and she ended up applying for another job and getting it.
She pointed out that for many people, before leaving their place of employment, they worry about burning bridges and end up turning in a 2-week notice to avoid anything along those lines. "Most people give a two-week notice out of courtesy and fear. I'll tell you what, for the first time in my life at that job, I decided to not give a notice and it was the best thing that I ever did. I got to leave on my terms."
She recalled seeing people leaving the company who gave a two-week notice and it would end badly for them the next day.
"Management would take it personally and say, 'Oh, why don't you just pack up your desk now and leave.' I saw that happen in my company," she admitted. "That toxic work culture where it's like, if you don't wanna be here, you're dead to us."
For her, she didn't want to leave a job that she truly did not like, on their terms. She advised workers to be very careful with whom they choose to give their two-week notice to.
"I would rather go to a new job and meet with a hiring manager and let them know that I did not just be upfront and say I didn't give notice in my last job. I worked there for 10 years but it got so toxic in the end and it was not the work environment that I wanted."
In January 2023, Clever Real Estate surveyed 1,000 Americans who’d quit their jobs amid the Great Resignation movement. It found that 49% of respondents offered their employers one week’s notice or less, while 1 in 4 workers gave no notice at all before leaving.
While the two-week notice is not required, if you've worked in a hostile work environment, it's understandable that working-class adults would feel less inclined to give that notice of respect that they're leaving.
This dialogue about two-week notices proves that employees desire a workplace where there's a clear structure and employees are treated fairly because then, the positive relationship can continue even after leaving.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.