[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Two Weeks Notice (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 6/17/2008 4:53:59 PM EDT
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I have been working at a small independent chemistry lab for nearly 9 years. I took that job having 10 years similar experience. I was severely underpaid, and finally accepted a job with a large company making a lot more money. I put in two and-a-half weeks notice in mid May. I offered to continue to work evenings and weekends as best I could to get the replacement trained. The lab owner had half a dozen resumes come in from local recruiters, and finally decided on a guy. When they called to make the offer, the guy turned it down. No explanation given. The next best candidate was a girl, who just graduated from college. No experience. Her first day was today. She quit. She was told it was an "entry level" job. It isn't. It is now a month after I told them I was leaving. If any of you start a business and have employees that are virtually irreplaceable, consider this when you write the pay checks. If I decided right now to never go back, I'm 95% sure the business would go under. |
The reason I gave them was to help them out in this tough time. The real reason is because I still get to use the lab equipment for my own personal use while I'm there. Although I'm not actually using any of the equipment for my own use because with working at both places, there is no time for a personal life. So actually, you ask a good question. |
They said they can't afford the 78% increase in pay I'm getting at the new job. And frankly, the new job is less work with better health benefits, retirement, etc. |
I have made a very conscious effort to avoid learning anything about the manufacture of drugs for many reasons. I'm always asked if I know how to make bombs and/or drugs. At least I can always honestly answer that I don't even know how to make meth, let alone ever tried making it. Explosives, on the other hand, is impossible to avoid learning as it is part of any good laboratory safety training. You have to know what to avoid doing so you don't blow yourself up. And by learning this, you learn what to mix together to create explosives. Kind of a hazard of the job. I'd be willing to bet that people with biology degrees know how to make drugs. |
Caring is a GOOD thing.  5sub |
if your not making meth then what kind of personal use can you get out of chemistry equipment? do it yourself boner pills? (if so would a USPS money order be sufficent or do you only do paypal?) |
dude. you have an unspoken contract with employers. either side can terminate it. terminate it already. |
you sound like a great employee. Companies could use more people like you that are reliable and ethical. I would gladily trade many of my workers for somebody like you who is obviously concientious. Perhaps you should have a serious conversation with your current boss and tell them how much money you want or need if you want to stay. Either way youve done a really great thing. Employers really like people like you. |
Thats is their problem. they cannot pay you more. You tried to help them, it is not your responsibility. |
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exactly now they are just taking advantage of you, with your permission move on!!!!!!!!!!! |
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Seems to me that you value the health of the company more than the owners. You do not owe them anything, you have worked for them for a long time, and it appears you did so at a discount, if they valued your contribution they would have paid you a fair wage. The fact that in this day and age they can't find a suitable replacement in a month, they are not making a fair offer to potential employees. Your skills and abilities determine what you should be paid, your new employer seems to realize that, your old employer doesn't. If they had a windfall profit would they be willing to share it with you? Before you answer think about this, aren't you a windfall profit to them already? You are doing a job for very low wages and poor benefits, they are keeping the money that they should be paying you. Now would they share? |
Sounds to me like you've given them ample time to get their shit in order and get someone new in there and they arent doing anything. They're leeching off of you and its time for you to do what you need to do and move on. |
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If they can't afford you and they can't run without you, they don't have a viable business. Their business literally cannot make enough money to cover the cost of goods. It's not up to you to pay money to keep them afloat (every day you work at your substantially reduced salary you are in effect giving them money to operate). |
+1 I understand loyalty and dedication, I wish more people were like you, but the time has come to move on. If they cared about you as much as you care about them, neither of you would be in this situation, it actually sounds like your kindness is being taken advantage of. |
I would say if you are sticking around to help them out and already are in at the new job I would tell the bosses you can no longer work for them at the old pay scale that you will now only contract out to help them at your own set rate. why give knowledge at cutrate prices when you are making alot more money now and the old company basically paid you shit. Contract work ftw. they screwed you now time to stick it to them. that is just my opinion though. |
| So, you're working both jobs now & trying to help keep the old place in business until they can find a replacement. Rare to see that kind of commitment these days. Plus side is extra pay from working both jobs. Are you able to do both jobs, without it affecting the new, better job, for a while? If it's taking too much of a toll, you need to let the old place know you're gone & they need to find a worker, ASAP. If you're cool with it for a while longer, keep on keepin' on.... Kudos to ya, sir. |
I don't know what is funnier, your witty replies or your picture in that avatar, combined with the witty replies. Thanks for the laugh. |
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I was the number one producer in 2007 for my region in one of the largest and most well known financial investment firms within the United States. Suffice to say, I was a true rain maker. My boss decides the best use of my time is to send me to the most fucking pathetic hospital case we have in our region to retain retirement accounts. I shouldn't even get up in the morning for this kind of shit yet I put up with it. When a company doesn't appreciate an employee then that employee needs to find a better company. WTF. RR |
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I admire your dedication, your bosses obviously don't and since they can't find a replacement for you, all they are doing now is using you so they don't REALLY have to hire someone who wants to work for less then the market demands. Contract work for them at 2X your pay if they so desire, no bennies but each side could benefit more then your situation right now. And don't screw up your new job, since you are a new hire there your performance will be watched closely. Good luck. |
| I would sit down with your old boss and tell them that today is your last day. Explain that working two jobs, training a non-existent trainee is affecting your performance at your new position, and that you will not allow that to happen with your new employer. Let your old boss know that once they find your replacement, you will be happy to come in for 3 days to help get the new hire up to speed. |
Unemployment is still at or under 6%. It is hard to find good experienced folks in a lot of fields. |
+1 This is the truth, they don't realize what you are worth. Let them sink, that is how a free market works. You are subsidzing mismanagement and stupidity with donations of your time. |
He took a new job with a 78% pay increase. One of the potential replacements thought she was taking an entry-level job and discovered it wasn't. Sounds to me like the reason they haven't found a competent replacement is because they aren't paying market rates. My company is in the same position trying to fill a position on my team, fortunately, the failure to find competent sysadmins for the rate they're offering gives our boss more ammunition to take to upper management when they reshuffle pay scales (they have sysadmins listed as "systems analysts", so HR's salary surveys are WAAAAY off, and HR has publicly admitted same and is in the midst of a LOT of changes - the first one is that everybody is getting merit increases next month, it was announced yesterday). But the OP is foolish to try to do two jobs trying to protect them. The first company is no longer his employer. They had the opportunity to retain him, they decided they could afford to lose him. He needs to focus on his new employer, because that's where his future is. He's already given them a LOT more of his time than anybody could reasonably expect, and if I were his new employer, I might get suspicious if he keeps working for his "former" employer while on the new employer's dime. |
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Cut and run. You've put in your time and now you're simply allowing yourself to be taken advantage of. I've been in sort of the same position. After I quit my last job I was getting calls and emails constantly about how to do things in SOPs that my boss either wrote or approved (and he had his PhD.). I got calls about techniques and results that were well documented in my lab book that he even counter-signed. He was trying to train replacements (yes replacements, he told me he couldn't give me a raise but somehow he was able to hire two people to do my work after I left). After a few weeks I had enough. I told him I've helped enough with the transition and if he wanted more out of me he would have to pay standard contractors rates. No more phone calls or emails appeared after that. |