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Since giving my notice it has come to my attention that I've been blamed for issues with a project that I had very little to do with, my boss is going out of his way to deliberately tell one of the new hires that he's the smartest one in the department and now I've been told by more than one reliable source that there's a rumor floating around that I was forced out and given 3 months to find a job (totally untrue. no one knew I was leaving). To make it even worse part of the rumor is they gave me the three weeks because I'm black. I've been told this by two (non-white) sources.

I gave two week notice out of pure professionalism. The true reason I'm leaving is because my boss is incompetent, doesn't know a thing about his job and has very clearly never been a software engineer even though he claims he was. Besides that he's an awful person who verbally abuses several developers.

This environment has become completely toxic only a few days after I gave my notice. Multiple people are being totally unprofessional. Do I still owe them the professionalism or do I just walk into HR and tell them I cannot complete my notice?

I am on the verge of walking in tomorrow and sending an email blast informing everyone I'm leaving, thanking them and then kindly telling them my leaving is of my own volition and no one forced me out and that I'm leaving because of the incompetence of management.

I don't care if this bridge burns to the ground because I'd never want to cross it again after this anyway and I have plenty of other references. Any suggestions?

Country is in the United States.

Edit: On hold as off topic for not presenting a way to better the situation? I literally presented the options I was pondering to better and move past the situation. I decided to stay for the notice anyway. You can delete this.

user609926
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  • In what country is this? In the Philippines, law mandates that employees have a mandatory 30 day notice after resignation, but I hear from the states it is much less. – Malcolm Salvador Sep 28 '17 at 00:28
  • It's in the us but the point is the notice is a professional courtesy and I'm being given the total opposite in return. Did you read it? – user609926 Sep 28 '17 at 00:31
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    I did. And there is no need to take an aggressive tone in a person trying to help you. – Malcolm Salvador Sep 28 '17 at 00:32
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    I've been blamed for issues with a project that I had very little to do with -- did this start just after you gave your notice? If so, it sounds like someone was looking for a scapegoat, and you're simply a target of opportunity (crappy though that may be) because you're already leaving. Personally, I'd advise keeping your head down, biting your tongue, and documenting EVERYTHING (just in case). – tonysdg Sep 28 '17 at 00:32
  • Yes this started immediately after I began telling people I was leaving. I wanted to bite my tongue because I had issues with my boss that made me want to just walk out to begin with, but this is making me second guess showing this company any courtesy. – user609926 Sep 28 '17 at 00:35
  • Notice is merely a courtesy in the US and a means of being able to use that employer as a reference later on. I feel so violated I don't even want to use them as a reference. – user609926 Sep 28 '17 at 00:39
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    Then just leave. You don't mind burning the bridge, there is no law stopping you from being sued.. Since there is no real problems in you leaving, just do it.

    Also, try to examine your character. Are you sure you're being singled out or thrown out of the bus, or is it that you have an inherent "victim mentality" and can't see why you are the one being blamed?

     – Malcolm Salvador Sep 28 '17 at 00:43
  • There's nothing to blame me for. They even found out today that I had nothing to do with the issue. On top of that someone is lying saying I was told I had 3 months to find a new job. I'm not a victim of anything. I don't know if this is jealousy or my psychotic boss lashing out, but I'm dreading going there and I have less than two weeks left. – user609926 Sep 28 '17 at 00:49
  • Read https://workplace.stackexchange.com/questions/72231/do-i-owe-them-a-two-week-notice?rq=1 – Bluebird Sep 28 '17 at 03:06
  • @AConcernedProgrammer try to avoid using caps, it comes across as shouting at people. If you want to emphasise something, put a * or _ at the start and end of the word so you get _ italics_ -> italics. – Erik Sep 28 '17 at 05:02
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    In Germany I would say see a doctor an let him write you a sick-note. This would be an elegant and waterproof immediate way to get out. Most doctors would do that if you told your situation and told you got some stress symptoms from it. But I don´t know if that makes any difference in USA. – Daniel Sep 28 '17 at 11:02
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    I recommend that you (1) do not send an email blast; and instead (2) talk to a lawyer. If your employer is bad mouthing you then you may have grounds for a libel/slander suit. If they are bad mouthing you then they are worthless as a reference. Continue to go to work (except take time off to talk to that lawyer). Listen and collect the names and contact numbers of people who tell you about the "rumor" for possible later depositions. But if you decide not to sue, I would just walk away without further comment. – emory Sep 28 '17 at 11:11
  • What sort of separation benefits are tied to that notice (accrued vacation and/or sick leave payout, vesting, referral letter, etc), and how important is that to you? If the company is short-sighted and has nothing to "encourage" someone to give them that two weeks' notice, and you did it solely because you're a good person, professionally, then there's no reason to stay in a toxic environment. – PoloHoleSet Sep 28 '17 at 15:53
  • @Erik my apologies, it will not happen again. I cannot seem to edit my comment. Should I delete it? – Malcolm Salvador Sep 29 '17 at 00:03
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    @AConcernedProgrammer it can be deleted either way; the question has been edited to include the requested information :) – Erik Sep 29 '17 at 05:45
  • If you've already given notice and implied you'll work the 2 weeks, the professional thing would be to complete the notice. Withdrawing early just because a few people are being unprofessional is not a good solution. – Brandin Sep 29 '17 at 13:42
  • Wow, I would go to HR. Tell them your boss is being unprofessional, vindictive. Indicate you wish to be immediately relieved and paid out the remaining salary for what is left of the two week notice. If they balk, walk away, it isn't worth it to you. If anyone from this company tries to speak anything that is not true or verifiable, document it, then get a lawyer to send a cease and desist letter, followed with a slander complaint. – Bill Leeper Oct 02 '17 at 18:50

2 Answers2

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I don't care if this bridge burns to the ground because I'd never want to cross it again after this anyway and I have plenty of other references. Any suggestions?

In the United States, you do not have to work a two week notice unless you signed a contract specifically stating you will do so. Two weeks will fly by, but at the same time I would not take any un-necessary disrespect during this period, especially if I was 100% certain I would not be going back and I didn't need anyone from this place to provide a reference.

I have worked at some crap companies, and only once did I leave before completing the resignation period. My suggestion to you is to suck it up and work the notice, unless they are making racially or other types of strong comments in a lame attempt to get back at you for leaving.

Focus on your next gig, and good luck!

Neo
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  • I would not take any un-necessary disrespect : in that way, direspect is always un-necessary, I believe, but as @JoeStrazzere said, when they go low, you go high :) but +1 – OldPadawan Sep 28 '17 at 11:04
  • @OldPadawan there are comments I would ignore and others I would not. Can't run to the MGR at this point about it, I am on my way out the door. – Neo Sep 28 '17 at 11:08
  • yup! especially liked the last sentence of 3rd paragraph. – OldPadawan Sep 28 '17 at 11:10
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    The last sentence is the most important. – Kilisi Sep 28 '17 at 11:24
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Two weeks isn't that long. Here in the UK, notice period can be months long.

You're leaving anyway, so any negativity you're going through now just won't matter after you've gone. I'd just keep my head down and work through the remaining days.

Failing this, confront your manager:

Ok, so this isn't working out too well. Would it be better for the team if I simply worked from home for the remaining x days I have left with you?

You'll then be able to serve your notice without having to suffer the toxicity in the office (at the rest of your team can start whining at each other, if that's what they want to do).

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    In addition experienced clients take these sorts of slanders with a huge grain of salt. Blaming a leaving employee for things is a lame excuse because even in the rare scenario that it might actually be true, a professional company should have been on top of that anyway. So if I was the client I'd discount that as a reasonable excuse for my project having problems. – Kilisi Sep 28 '17 at 10:35
  • Personally, I gave my notice at a place and I can attest that two weeks can be very long when you work in a company where the task force is dissatisfied and the projects are on the edge of collapsing. – Tom Sawyer Sep 28 '17 at 14:15