Pulling the Trigger, Cutting the Cord, Yanking the Bandaid....

[dkn1997]

I did it, Quit my job yesterday.  I have been in the swimming pool business for 19 years...since I was 19 actually.  I worked my way up from vacuuming pools out of the trunk of my car to being the service manager at my current company for the last 3 years.  I finally had enough of a boss who yells and sends rude and degrading emails all day long and does not appreciate me.  Plus the highs and lows of an industry that is shady at best.

I started looking elsewhere about 2 months ago, thinking it would take a long time.  I have management experience, but only in the pool business.  with age 40 coming up fast and working at a small company, I did not want to find myself a 40 year old manager who has done only one thing trying to find a job. 

Anywho, I accepted an offer to manage an operations center here on Long Island that dispatches the vans to do Direct TV satellie installs.  I will be managing other managers and supervisors which I have not gotten to do yet and will have less day to day ineraction with the service men, which I could use a break from.  I am nervous about how I will do, but I am relieved to be gone from my current employer.

they were not happy when I went in and told them.  I am the total "go to" guy in the whole place (7 people work in the office besides the 4 owners) and while I am sure they will survive, it will be difficult.  one thing that puzzles me is that they were very critical of the fact that I gave only 2 weeks notice.  I have not had any of my guys give me any notice in 3 years.  the norm now seems to be "I am quitting, today is my last day"  I would have liked to give more notice, but the new place needs me now and I have to do what I have to do. 

anyway wish me luck!

[skip68]

Congrats & Good Luck!
Mr.& Mrs.Skip68

[Troy]

Congrats!

Two weeks is plenty. Any longer and it gives them time to resent the fact that you're leaving even more. Your new job should appreciate the fact that you wanted to give notice because it's a reflection of how you'll treat them under similar circumstances in the future. Since they are the ones you need to impress and build trust with right now then concentrate on that. Also, if your old company had no idea you were unhappy and were unprepared for your departure then it wouldn't help them if you stayed for two months.

Troy

[Chris G.]

Hey Good Luck man! 

I was in your exact situation a month ago. I left my job after 11 years because things were changing for the worse and I had no say in how to make it better. I got a better job that I start in a week. It's a night shift which sucks, but I'm not complaining, because a school like Rutgers is great to get in with. I will just work my way into a better shift down the road.

Again, good luck and I hope it all works out for you. 

[TruckDriver]

  Good luck!

[dkn1997]

Congrats!

Two weeks is plenty. Any longer and it gives them time to resent the fact that you're leaving even more. Your new job should appreciate the fact that you wanted to give notice because it's a reflection of how you'll treat them under similar circumstances in the future. Since they are the ones you need to impress and build trust with right now then concentrate on that. Also, if your old company had no idea you were unhappy and were unprepared for your departure then it wouldn't help them if you stayed for two months.

Troy

oh yeah, I stressed that in the interview that I absolutely could not start less than 2 weeks after accepting any offer, and it was not up for negotiation.  As far as unhappiness, my boss said he thought it was coming, but not till the winter (when pool season was over)  which means his desire for easy 8 hour days was more important than taking any steps to ease my burden and keep me there.

No way I could have given more notice because every other person who has quit has become public enema (pun intended) number one.  I will be shocked if they dont' unceremoniousely toss me in a few days

[Steve P.]

I completely agree with Troy.  2 weeks is the accepted etiquette of the work place.  It's a shame people think they have to be azzholes to be a boss. On the other hand, I don't believe MOST bosses SHOULD be bosses. So many are under trained for the job it's pathetic.

I wish you very good luck in the new job. 

[dkn1997]

now comes the inevitable vacation time screwing that i am sure is coming....I get a total of 19 days, 3weeks vacation, 2 sick, 2 personal.  They have always let anyone use the sick personal like vacation and if somoen ran out of sick, they could vacation.  so no differentiation.

it's in our manual that you lose all if you quit or get fired. but I am going to ask for an exception here due to 6 years of outstanding service to them.   I did the right thing with notice and I still have 9 days left.  they start accruing in January, so I have most of them banked by now.
I am going to ask for them to cash out 5 of the days left.  I really don't want it to get ugly, but I have earned that time and I am willing to take just a portion of it.  I have not called in sick in 4 years.  I have never used all of my time and you cannot roll it over.  they used to let us cash it out, but that stopped this year.  I have been the most dedicated employee they have ever had (according to them, not me)

I suppose I could just start taking days off in my last 2 weeks, but I don't want to be shitty like that.  I could be a big help in the transition if they let me. 
maybe it's not worth it to fight and I should just walk away knowing i did the right thing and be happy with that.   

[Charger_Fan]

Good luck with your new job!

I'm unhappy with my job too, have been for a few years now. The problem is, I can't seem to find another one that won't start me off with an uncomfortable pay cut. Due to my work schedule, it's hard to go job prospecting, so in a few weeks, I'm gonna use the last week of this year's accumulated vacation time to go job looking again...just like I did last year & the year before. Hopefully this year will have better results.

[70charger_boy]

Congrats, man.  I've been down this road many times.  Often more than not companies will always be hard on the good workers and let the lazy workers do what they want.  It is pretty hard to leave a comfortable situation to a new situation, but believe me it is worth it.
  I was in management and must warn you that you are expendable.  Just do your best to keep your numbers up and don't try to play favorites with your employees.  That will only bite you in the ass later on.  Good luck, dude.

As far as your boss giving you crap about the 2 weeks notice thing.  That is a ploy used to make you feel guilty.  My old boss gave me the same line of crap, so I told him I'm not giving him notice and am leaving today..

[nh_mopar_fan]

now comes the inevitable vacation time screwing that i am sure is coming....I get a total of 19 days, 3weeks vacation, 2 sick, 2 personal.  They have always let anyone use the sick personal like vacation and if somoen ran out of sick, they could vacation.  so no differentiation.

it's in our manual that you lose all if you quit or get fired. but I am going to ask for an exception here due to 6 years of outstanding service to them.   I did the right thing with notice and I still have 9 days left.  they start accruing in January, so I have most of them banked by now.
I am going to ask for them to cash out 5 of the days left.  I really don't want it to get ugly, but I have earned that time and I am willing to take just a portion of it.  I have not called in sick in 4 years.  I have never used all of my time and you cannot roll it over.  they used to let us cash it out, but that stopped this year.  I have been the most dedicated employee they have ever had (according to them, not me)

I suppose I could just start taking days off in my last 2 weeks, but I don't want to be shitty like that.  I could be a big help in the transition if they let me. 
maybe it's not worth it to fight and I should just walk away knowing i did the right thing and be happy with that.   

Of course it's worth it. You earned that time. If they refuse to do it and you've given them two weeks, tell them you want to take the 9 days vacation NOW.

[Silver R/T]

good luck with whatever you do man

[Old Moparz]

Good luck & congrats. 

It's been about 20 years since I ever had to give anyone notice, but it isn't easy to get past the nervous feeling of how it will go down. The only time I never gave notice, was when I worked for a miserable prick who didn't deserve the time of day. I went home at the end of the day on a Saturday after getting stiffed out of some overtime for the last time, & never showed up or called. 

If you're current employer decides he didn't make the right choice & offers to make a change to keep you, it's probably still in your own best interest to leave anyway. That happened to my wife when she got tired of pennies per hour raises. The owner claimed poverty & that he couldn't afford more, but somehow managed to spend $50,000 redecorating a $500,000 boat that was 2 years old. 

She found a less stressful job, 30% more in pay, closer to home, & a boss that didn't yell & scream like a mental patient. He all of a sudden, offered to match the salary to keep her which was even more insulting. If he, or any other employer, had ever given any thought about how good certain employees are, do something to keep them, not lure them back when it's too late.

It's very satisfying to tell someone to go eat s**t without actually saying it.   

[dkn1997]

Good luck & congrats. 


If you're current employer decides he didn't make the right choice & offers to make a change to keep you, it's probably still in your own best interest to leave anyway. That happened to my wife when she got tired of pennies per hour raises. The owner claimed poverty & that he couldn't afford more, but somehow managed to spend $50,000 redecorating a $500,000 boat that was 2 years old. 

They actually made the "right choice" and did offer to change my position.  The other owner that I don't report to (who is very nice and good to work for)  said he would take me on the construction end as a salesman and I would easily double my salary. No thanks.  besides not wanting to stay, I really don't want to be a salesman.  plus if I am still in the organization, I will be inserted like the perverbial technical advisor tampon every time something takes a shit. The real "right choice" would have been for them to listen when I said 5 monts ago when I was getting chewed out for some thing when I said "maybe you need to find someone else to do my job the way you want it done"    and money?  I am taking a job that pays less (only 1500/year less, but still less)  it was never about the money for me. it's about not feeling like I want to vomit walking in the door in the morning.

[Daytona R/T SE]

"It was never about the money for me. it's about not feeling like I want to vomit walking in the door in the morning."


I feel your pain, man.  It's Sunday afternoon, and I'm already dreading walking into "The Shit Hole"

on Monday morning.

My goal each day is to escape at quitting time without having murdered anyone.

There's been several days I almost didn't make it.

Tommorrow is a new day...wish me luck...

[dodgecharger-fan]

Of course it's worth it. You earned that time. If they refuse to do it and you've given them two weeks, tell them you want to take the 9 days vacation NOW.

Absolutely.
It's probably illegal for them to deny you what you've earned.
It is up here in Canada, I believe. In fact, they can't deny any benefits that you earned as far as I know.


Best of luck, dkn. It takes guts to make a move like that but it's probably a very smart move. It's better to exit as gracefully as possible than to lose it one day and walk out.

[dkn1997]

Thanks for all of the support, guys.  I just got done with my first week of my "lame duck" administration.  I re-read the policy manual and it does state that you lose all of your sick and personal, which I can live with.  I had 7 vacation left, started out with 15.    I accrue a 3 3/4 days per quarter or 1.25 days per month.  I will have only worked 1 month of the last quarter, so by all rights, I had earned 12.5 total vacation days this year.  having used 9 of them to date, I was only due 3.5 days.  They gave me 5, so that went fine by me. 

They have been very very nice to me.  A lot of that is because I am working just like I always did, I don't act like I have 1 foot out the door. In fact, I am doing my job better because all of the stress is lifted and my boss is not riding me as usual.  But...some of that is because they totally expect me to crash and burn at my new job and that I will be back.  It started with "you are always welcome to come back" and moved on to "Keep your company shirts, I hope you will need them again" to today when I said that he would have a tough time with something next season with a difficult customer and he said that It would be my problem still.  plus some questions about my new job and the way they were asked "what is this job anyway?"   "are you answering the phone there?"  meanwhile, I will be running the whole place with about 40 people under me, and at least 4 managers reporting to me. 
 

Honestly, It's not written in stone that I will succeed at the next place, and I had considered that at some point, I may desire to go back there, but now I wouldn't.  It's just because they expect that.  If they would have just said "good luck" I would have no problem returning hat in hand for my job if my family needs me to.  Now?  I would probably do just about anything to avoid the "I told you so"  plus if I ever went back, any leverage I ever had would be gone. 

and they are making me work saturday (not normal for this time of year)  is this thier version of a good-bye ass bang?  you decide....   I still have another week and don't start my new job until 10/8, and while it would have been nice to have some time off, we could use the money so either way, it's all good.  I know I did the right thing when every single person except one (my boss's aunt who works there) at work said "good for you" and good move.  3 other managers have confided in me that they have been looking also.  there's only 6 managers in the whole place counting me, so that's a large percentage of the people they trust who want out.

I don't wish bad on them, though.  They gave me a chance to manage when nobody else would.  I actually hope my leaving hurts just enough that maybe someone realizes that they need to treat the peeps better.  maybe it will make it better in the long run for some under-apprecitated coworkers...

[mikesbbody]

good luck  dont worry, everything will be fine!