Quitting Without Notice (employee, employer, paycheck, job)
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I worked in retail from 1974-1980, and I got another retail job last year, although I am mostly retired. My department has only nine employees, and the store as a whole has only about 50. As most people know, retail involves working irregular hours and some weekends and evenings, and one's schedule usually varies at least slightly from week to week.
Well, a person in her mid-20's (I think) was hired two weeks ago, she started the job a week ago Sunday, and worked last week's schedule, but then she did not show up this past Sunday -- she simply quit with no call and no notice. Naturally, this meant that the department manager had to scramble and rearrange other people's shifts so that the department would be adequately staffed for the remainder of this week.
I live in an "at will" state, so she was within her rights to just quit, but my question is, Is this just the way things are now, that people just feel free to quit without any notice and with no qualms about whom they might inconvenience? (Btw, she did say to me that she thought the job was more boring that she had thought it would be, but it is not like she had any beefs or was mistreated in any way -- we are a very friendly and accepting group and the manager is a "dream" to work for -- she was just bored.)
I guess I am also just asking if it is expecting too much for someone in the above situation to give a week's notice.
Last edited by katharsis; 05-02-2017 at 04:51 PM..
Some people just up and quit; not a lot you can do about it. If I worked at a place for a week and didn't like it, I doubt if I'd give any notice either. I would let them know that I wasn't coming back.
Welcome to the new reality where shame and guilt for lack of integrity doesn't exist. People like your ex-coworker are only concerned about themselves. They haven't even heard of the Golden Rule much less practice it.
But...
when she is on the receiving end of such rudeness she will be the first to whine.
Retail positions usually come with low pay and instability. Hours can get cut without notice and the amount of money you receive on your paychecks can vary from week to week. Most people who get hired for these positions know there isn't much room to grow and are just there until they can find something better. It is inconsiderate to not show up for a shift and not call, but it's just the way it is in that field.
Well, if she only has worked there 2 weeks it's kind of understandable not giving a 2 week notice. HOWEVER.... she could have at least came in and worked that day so that the store wasn't stuck but told her boss she would not be back after that. Retail and fast food is notorious for having younger workers who really don't take the job seriously and quit on a whim leaving everyone else to pick up the pieces.
I worked in retail from 1974-1980, and I got another retail job last year, although I am mostly retired. My department has only nine employees, and the store as a whole has only about 50. As most people know, retail involves working irregular hours and some weekends and evenings, and one's schedule usually varies at least slightly from week to week.
Well, a person in her mid-20's (I think) was hired two weeks ago, she started the job a week ago Sunday, and worked last week's schedule, but then she did not show up this past Sunday -- she simply quit with no call and no notice. Naturally, this meant that the department manager had to scramble and rearrange other people's shifts so that the department would be adequately staffed for the remainder of this week.
I live in an "at will" state, so she was within her rights to just quit, but my question is, Is this just the way things are now, that people just feel free to quit without any notice and with no qualms about whom they might inconvenience? (Btw, she did say to me that she thought the job was more boring that she had thought it would be, but it is not like she had any beefs or was mistreated in any way -- we are a very friendly and accepting group and the manager is a "dream" to work for -- she was just bored.)
I guess I am also just asking if it is expecting too much for someone in the above situation to give a week's notice.
It's really poor taste. Like you said, it's just common courtesy that you'd give at least 2 weeks notice. No disrespect, but in the corporate world (non-retail), it's not just the way things are now. I'm sure it happens, but it's not very frequent because it's too risky from a career perspective. In fact in most corporate settings people give well over a 2 week notice (probably closer to a month, sometimes more if they are in the middle of a big project/ busy season), just to ensure they leave on good terms and don't burn any bridges that could come back to haunt them. In a retail setting, you're probably much more likely to see this occur.
Retail positions usually come with low pay and instability. Hours can get cut without notice and the amount of money you receive on your paychecks can vary from week to week. Most people who get hired for these positions know there isn't much room to grow and are just there until they can find something better. It is inconsiderate to not show up for a shift and not call, but it's just the way it is in that field.
This is pretty much the answer.
Loyalty from employer to employee is COMPLETELY dead- and this is especially true in Retail. Pay is generally low, Benefits where they exist are more or less worthless, and raises and promotions are either nonexistent or virtually impossible to come by.
turnover is incredibly high- maybe only fast food is worse. This isn't the case for employers (say, like Costco) that have a different philosophy regarding their retail workforce. If the employer wanted to deal with less turnover, less people leaving at the drop of a hat there are changes that could be made- but few employers will. Cheaper to simply replace them when they leave, despite the inconvenience.
That's not to say that ghosting a job isn't completely classless and shows a lack of respect to the workers that remain, but in modern day retail it simply comes with the territory. A better opportunity comes along and the worker will take advantage of it immediately- not wait out two weeks at a dead end employer.
Years and years and years ago I worked at a Pottery Barn in NYC as a second job. During the holiday season, it was crazy, I worked a ton of hours in addition to my regular 9-to-5. I was very reliable, although pretty much exhausted all the time.
After the holidays, they cut back everyone's hours (as they will in retail) and I never knew from one week to the next when I was going to be scheduled, or even if I would be scheduled at all. It got to the point where it just wasn't worth it anymore for me. My "real" job was my career path, this was just a way to make a little extra money as I lived in a very expensive city.
I ended up walking out on my lunch break one day! Just took my break and never came back. I'm not proud of it, but not really that ashamed either. It never hurt me professionally and I was a little disgusted at the time about how little care went into scheduling shifts for people. From what I've read, it seems far worse these days.
So, no, I can't blame someone for quitting a retail gig without notice.
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