Two Weeks Notice

Hey Alyse,

I hate my job. I work for a company whose motto seems to be "MORE, MORE, MORE" work but no MORE pay! I don't think I can stay here another day. The thing is I am the only person working in my family and have to take care of all the bills. I started looking for other jobs a couple of weeks ago and have been on some promising interviews. I don't have any offers yet but today, I put in my two weeks notice. I couldn't believe it when they accepted my resignation immediately! I'm so PO'd! Can they do that?

Shocked in Waldorf, MD


Hi Shocked!

I'm sorry to report that they can do that - Maryland is an at will employment state see below:

In Maryland, employees work "at the will" of their employers. This means, in the absence of an express contract, agreement or policy to the contrary, an employee may be hired or fired for almost any reason -- whether fair or not -- or for no reason at all.

HOWEVER, you should never give your two weeks notice without 1. considering the possibility that it will be accepted immediately and 2. already having another job. Have you considered the possibility that it might just take you a lot longer to find a job? Are you aware of the statistics that indicate clearly now is not the time to make haste employment decisions? Are you going to need a reference from the job you "hate" and do you think you are going to get a good one? If you do a quick check on how long it takes to find another job, you will find that it is taking sometimes as long as 3 or 4 months. I would suggest that you 1. make sure that you can get good references from your most recent position and smooth any feathers you have have ruffled 2. hit the pavement, don't just post your resume online 3. let your network of friends, co-workers, etc. know that you are in the job market and finally 4. shift your perspective on giving your two weeks notice - next time, try to be a little more patient.

A. Fox
"A handful of Patience is worth more than an bushel of brains." Dutch Proverb